Public Opinion and the Classical Tradition: A Re-Evaluation

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Abstract
As early as trie seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, classical writers like John Locke, David Hume, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduced the concepts of climate of opinion, law of opinion and reputation, and public opinion. In their analyses their emphasis was on the social controls, social pressure dimension of the phenomenon—“all governments rest on opinions.” This concept of public opinion permits us to draw a few conclusions: public opinion can be used for social control because of the individual's fear of isolating himself; moreover, public opinion facilitates social integration and social stability, establishes priorities, and confers legitimation.

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