A history of women's political thought in Europe : 1400-1700

This ground-breaking book surveys the history of women's political thought in Europe from the late medieval period to the early modern era. The authors examine women's ideas about topics such as the basis of political authority, the best form of political organisation, justifications of obedience and resistance, and concepts of liberty, toleration, sociability, equality, and self-preservation. Women's ideas concerning relations between the sexes are discussed in tandem with their broader political outlooks; and the authors demonstrate that the development of a distinctively sexual politics is reflected in women's critiques of marriage, the double standard, and women's exclusion from government. Women writers are also shown to be indebted to the ancient idea of political virtue, and to be acutely aware of being part of a long tradition of female political commentary. This work will be of tremendous interest to political philosophers, historians of ideas, and feminist scholars alike. Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 9 Preface 10 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 Christine de Pizan 24 I 26 II 40 III 44 Chapter 2 Women of the Italian Renaissance 52 Chapter 3 From Anne de Beaujeu to Marguerite de Navarre 74 Chapter 4 Queen Elizabeth I of England 104 I 105 II 109 III 115 Chapter 5 From the Reformation to Marie le Jars de Gournay 124 I 125 II 129 III 138 Chapter 6 Women of the English civil war era 154 I 158 II 162 III 168 Chapter 7 Quaker women 176 I 178 II 186 Chapter 8 The Fronde and Madeleine de Scudéry 194 Chapter 9 Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle 213 I 217 II 226 III 232 Chapter 10 Women of the Glorious Revolution 239 I 241 II 249 III 255 Chapter 11 Women of late seventeenth-century France 261 Chapter 12 Mary Astell 279 I 282 II 293 Conclusion 302 Bibliography 307 Primary Sources 307 Secondary Sources 320 Index 341 This ground-breaking book surveys the history of women's political thought in Europe from the late medieval period to the early modern era, examining women's ideas about topics such as the basis of political authority, justifications of obedience and resistance, and concepts of liberty, toleration, sociability, equality and self-preservation.