A01=Francois Poullain de la Barre
Author_Francois Poullain de la Barre
bias
caretaking
Category=JBSF11
classics
descartes
discrimination
education ladies
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eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
equality of the two sexes
excellence men
femininity
feminist theory
france
francois poullain de la barre
gender
inequality
morality
prejudice
radical feminism
separate spheres
social norms
translation
virtue
woman question
women
womens rights
Product details
- ISBN 9780226676531
- Weight: 624g
- Dimensions: 23 x 16mm
- Publication Date: 01 Dec 2002
- Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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One of the most radical feminist theorists in Europe before the 19th century, Francois Poullain de la Barre (1647-1723) was a man way ahead of his time. Applying Cartesian principles to "the Woman Question", Poullain demonstrated by rational deduction that the supposedly "self-evident" inequality of the sexes was nothing more than unfounded prejudice. Poullain published three books (anonymously) on this topic in the 1670s, all of which are included in English translation in this volume. In "On the Equality of the Two Sexes" he argued that the supposedly "natural" inferiority of women was culturally produced. To help women recognize and combat this prejudice, Poullain advocated a modern, enlightened feminine education in "On the Education of Ladies". Finally, since his contemporaries largely ignored Poullain's writings, he offered a rebutal to his own arguments in "On the Excellence of Men" - a rebuttal that he promptly countered, strenghtening his original position. A truly modern feminist, Poullain laid the intellectual groundwork for the women's liberation movement centuries before it happened.
Marcelle Maistre Welch is professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages at Florida International University. Vivien Bosley is associate professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta.
