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Novelty and resonance in French Revolution debates

Humanities Analytics · Lesson 1 case study

This case study analysed more than 40,000 speeches from the French Revolution’s first parliament. Topic modelling and information-theoretic measures were used to compare each speech with those before and after it.

Novelty described how much a speech differed from earlier patterns, while transience described how quickly those patterns faded. Resonance identified language that was new yet persisted in later speeches. Together, these measures helped reveal how individuals, political positions, and emerging institutions shaped the circulation of ideas.

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