Role of Women During the Enlightenment

Salons and Their Hostesses

The salons were cultural institutions dating back to the early 17th century, extending from the institutionalized court where royal women had entertained the city elite.

Parisian salons were distinguished from all-male literary circles and the society of cabarets and cafes, for they were dominated by women.

Aristocratic and upper bourgeoisie women, called salonnieres organized and ran the salons from their homes. They set the tone and goals of the gatherings and helped bring writers, artists, philosophers, and other various patrons together.

From 1770 to 1830, Paris went through a number of political, social, and cultural changes. The arrival of the Enlightenment, French Revolution and the Restoration each left their mark on the Parisian salons.

Enlightenment salons brought a new element of “seriousness and regularity” to the salon as they formed the social base of the Republic of Letters and thus contributed to the social project of Enlightenment.

The Salon of Madame Geoffrin

Lacking in social status, attractiveness, and education, the salon of Madame Geoffrin was “one of the wonders of the social world.”

She was orphaned at a young age and married the wealthy director of the royal glassworks at Saint-Gobain. In her twenties she began apprenticing at the salon of her neighbor, Madame de Tencin.

Philosophes, artists, nobles, princes, ambassadors, politicians, and reformers flocked to Mme. Geoffrin’s. On Monday nights, her guests were mostly artists. Wednesday night dinners were primarily literary themed. Mme. Geoffrin’s salon was characterized by interested guests providing stimulating intellectual debate.

Madame Geoffrin (cont.)

Mme. Geoffrin made two innovative changes in the way her salon was run. Mme. Geoffrin made two innovative changes in the way her salon was run. SheShe switched the traditional late night dinner to one-o’clock to allow for an switched the traditional late night dinner to one-o’clock to allow for an entire afternoon of discussionentire afternoon of discussion..

She She created a regular weekly salon dinner schedulecreated a regular weekly salon dinner schedule.. Mme. Geoffrin’s salon became popular because she was a sympathetic Mme. Geoffrin’s salon became popular because she was a sympathetic

listener, a generous woman, and could bring the best out of others.listener, a generous woman, and could bring the best out of others. On Sundays her salon wasn’t open, instead she distributed bags of money to On Sundays her salon wasn’t open, instead she distributed bags of money to

the poorer folk.the poorer folk.

The Salon of Madame Stäel

Mme. Stäel was the daughter of famous salonniere Suzanne Necker and James Necker, the Swiss Director of Finance under Louis XVI.

Mme. Stäel’s grew up in a setting rich in intelligence and learning, and was surrounded by all the facilities of affluence.

Mme. Stäel was a frequent guest at her mother’s salon while growing up, giving her the opportunity to take interest in a variety of subjects and to converse at a level beyond her age.

At the age of twenty she married the Baron von Stäel Holstein, the Swedish ambassador to France, and due to this marriage, she gained an influential position in the social world of Paris

Mme. Stäel became a talented stateswoman, novelist, playwright, actress, metaphysician, and musician. Her kindness, generosity, animated writing, and clever tact earned her the respect and admiration of many

The Salon that she came to run became considered as “the most brilliant in Paris…at the height of its vogue.”

Madame Stäel (cont.)

She was in the good graces of Marie Antoinette, but commented that the court was so lavish and the members so spoiled that it demoralized life

She was present when the king was violently dethroned on October 6, 1790, and often offered shelter at her home to popular leaders who needed protection and a place to hide

Became close with Charles Maurice de Tallyrand and Louis de Norbonne, which caused many to question her intentions – she and Norbonne would often speak of democracy, even though they would support the monarchy until it fell

When it did fall, however Mme Stäel was forced to escape to Switzerland, after saving so many other lives from the wrath of the lower classes

She bravely returned to Paris in April of 1795 with a new lover in tow and began to host a dinner every ten days inviting people of all varying opinions and on particular days she “entertained separately the leaders of the various cliques.”

Her book De la Littérature was considered the first serious effort to introduce France to the underlying characteristics of German and English literature

The Salon of Madame Récamier

Was renown for her exquisite beauty – it was even said that, unlike with Mme Geoffrin and Mme Stäel who had attracted people on their intelligence, it was Mme Récamier beauty that attracted guests

Though she was not known for the exceptional intelligence, she was noted for her excellent tact and her gift for listening

She attracted writers, politicians, artists, and many a distinguished foreigner

Our Stand Although they were able to gain

minimum knowledge, and make a step towards equal rights, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment didn’t provide any particular benefits for women during their time.

Reason 1: Opportunities to be Involved were a Minimum

Many Women during the Enlightenment didn’t have the opportunity to pursue an education in Sciences, and the quality of education they received was degraded from what it used to be.

Why? ---- They were to believed to be ignorant, and not capable of understanding.

A man by the name of Malebranche once said, “All things of an abstracted nature are incomprehensible to them [women], they cannot employ their imagination in disentangling compound questions” (http://www.public.iastate.edu.)

Malebranche is basically saying that women are not as intellectual as men.

And because of this view on women, they were not allowed to attend classes other than those necessary to being a wife.

How does this Play into Women Not Benefiting?

We can look at Madame du Chatelet. She was part of an upper class family in Paris Wife of Voltaire (famous for his works criticizing Dogma) Highly intelligent—had skills in Latin, Italian, and many more, but her favorite was

Mathematics. Since higher education was reserved for men, Madame du Chatelet hired professors to teach hereverything from writing to geometry

(Madame du Chatelet… …continued)

Most impressive accomplishment: translation of Principia, Sir Issac Newton’s work She able to comprehend the abstract things in Newton’s book, something many people could never

begin to do Later, when Chatelet tried to join the Royal Academy of

Scientists, a place where science was discussed, she was denied.

It was definitely not because of her lack of intelligence, because we know she was up there with all the men, it was because of one thing: she was woman.

Just like this, capable women were restricted from expressing their knowledge, and learning more

Reason 2: Society just couldn’t see women as being as good as men

Women were seen as nothing more that housewives. They were supposed to clean, cook, and take care of

their families. Some even saw them only as “child-bearers” Since we are talking about the Scientific Revolution,

you might think that this intellectual revolution would change the views of men.

Instead, they used the new science discoveries to prove women were inferior.

But, how? One theory uses the anatomy of males and females to prove male dominance

Reason 2: Society just couldn’t see women as being as good as men (continued)

Overall, men were just out to say that women were subordinate to them. They were just there to take part in the domestic areas.

An interesting quote----A man said this regarding the excellent works of

a woman academic: *“The writings are so good, you would hardly

believe they were don’t by a women at all” This just shows, men did not want to believe

that some woman could be as smart as them.

Jean-Jaques Rousseau

This “typical” view of women being inferior was greatly expressed in the works of Rousseau. Rousseau was born in Geneva; his lifetime took place after Louis XIV---he was involved in the French

Revolution Wrote several books on education, government, and

women including Emile ou de l’ education, and Du Contrat social

*The Emile ou de l’eductaion: argued that the social roles of women and men should be different

*Main Fact about Rousseau: HE WAS ANTI-WOMEN’S RIGHTS!

Here’s a Run Down of Rousseau’s ANTI-WOMAN thoughts:

A woman is a link between the child and father She is to maintain unity of the family Men and woman should NOT have same education Separate Sphere’s for Men and Women * “ To please men, to be useful to them, to make

herself loved and honored by them, to raise them when young, to care for them when grown, to counsel them, to console them, to make their lives agreeable and sweet---these are the duties of women at all times.”

He like many other, believed women were not, and couldn’t be anything more that simple domestic wives

With Views like that, Someone is going to get argue… Rousseau’s fellow “debater” was Mary Wollstonecraft Born in London, England She was a school head master -that’s where she began to realize the subordination of women in terms of education Writer of Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, and

History and Moral View of the Origins and Progress of the French Revolution

In 1792, she published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, a text of hers that received the most attention

Mary Wollstonecraft

Was the daughter of a handkerchief weaver, and was born in Spitalfields, London in 1759

In 1784 she opened a school in Newington Green, where she made friends with Richard Price, a minister at the local chapel, where she also because close with Price’s friend, Joseph Priestly

Price had written the book Review of the Principal Questions of Morals where he argued that individual conscience and reason should be used in making moral choices – also rejected concept of original sin and eternal punishment (was, at times, accused of being an atheist OH NO AN ATHEIST!)

Mary was greatly influenced by Price, and this was made apparent by her 1786 book, Thoughts on the Education of Girls, where she attacked traditional teaching methods and suggested new topics that should be studied by girls

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Is like the “rebuttle” to Roussea’s

Separate Sphere’s for Men and Women Focused on importance of equal status

of both men, and women And that education was the key for a

woman’s success

*Mary Wollstonecraft was an extreme feminist who helped women make a step towards gaining equal right in the 20th century.

Vindication of the Rights of Women

Is considered Wollstonecraft’s most important book In it, she attacked the education restrictions that kept women in a state of

“ignorance and slavish dependence, "and was especially critical of a society that encouraged women to be “docile and attentive to their looks to the exclusion of all else”

She called marriage “legal prostitution” and added that women “may be convenient slaves, but slavery will have its constant effect, degrading the master and the abject dependent.”

Her book caused much controversy, with passionate people on both sides of the argument – many a vituperative comment was made. She had even shocked other radicals, who had declared that education for women would have been pointless

Mary had to flee to France, but there died in childbirth after marriage. Her daughter was Mary Shelby – the author of the famous Frankenstein

Vindication of the Rights of Man

Price, in one sermon, had praised the French Revolution and argued that the British people, like the French, had the right to remove a bad king from power

Edmund Burke had, in reply to the sermon, written an opposing pamphlet entitled Reflections on the Revolution in France, and Mary, in turn, wrote one of her most famous documents – The Vindication of the Rights of Man

In VotRoM, she supported Price and argued that certain functions of society, like the slave trade, game laws, and the way poor people were treated, was wrong

It was this book that brought her to the attention of many people, including Thomas Paine and William Blake

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Women: “It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are in some degree independent of men; nay, it is vain to expect that strength of natural affection which would make them good wives and mothers. Whilst they are absolutely dependent upon their husbands they will be cunning, mean, and selfish. The preposterous distinction of rank, which render civilization a curse, by dividing the world between voluptuous tyrants and cunning envious dependents, corrupt, almost equally, every class of people.”

Olympe de Gouges

Was born in 1748 in Montauban near Toulouse in France as Marie Gouze. Little attention was given to her education; therefore, she could hardly read or

write, and only spoke French poorly and later dictated all of her work to a secretary.

Moved to pre-revolutionary Paris and changed her name to blend in more with the people of the city.

Lived under the support of her lover and underwent criticism for this to achieve her dream of becoming a writer.

Attempted to live in Paris as a theater author but she did not succeed. Once wrote, “Why this unswerving prejudice against my sex? …Will it ever

be allowed for women to escape from the terror of poverty other than by base means.”

In 1789, began to write politically after the beginning of revolutionary events.

(cont…)

Olympe de Gouges

Printed her social-political ideas onto posters with her own money and hung them around Paris.

Wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Women and Women Citizens not soon after. Wrote The Three Urns or the Welfare of the Fatherland and was arrested for the

opinions expressed in the paper, for which she was eventually arrested, for she had been a major supporter of the Girondists, she had suggested a referendum on three possible forms of government

She had also publicly defended the king in December 1782, mostly for humanitarian reasons – she wanted to achieve a reformation of society through words, through her writing and her continual appeals for nonviolence

She thus remained a true representative of the enlightenment despite her differences with Rousseau

She was beheaded on November 3, 1793 after an unfair trial – not only for her being a member of the Girondists but because she supported women’s rights, for two weeks after her death, her body was held up in front of the crowd to show what would happen to those who supported women

Olympe de Gouges

Excerpt from Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen: “…ignorance, omission, and scorn for the rights of women are only causes of public misfortune and of the corruption of governments, [the women] have resolved to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of woman in order that this declaration, constantly exposed before all the members of this society, will ceaselessly remind them of their rights and duties; in order that the authoritative acts of women and authoritative acts of men may be at any moment compared with and respectful of the purpose of all political institutions; and in order that the citizens’ demands, henceforth based on simple and incontestable principles, will always support the constitution, good morals, and the happiness of all.”

A Quick Sum Up of why Women did not Benefit:

#1 Lack of Opportunities #2 Views of Society #3 Especially the views of men: Remember

Rosseau, the ANTI-FEMINIST guy.

Along with educational setbacks, women still did not have many political rights during this time such as property owning, or voting like the men.