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roughly 1500 - 1800
The “Women’s Quarrel”, usually known by its French
name, “La Querelle des Femmes”, was a long continuous literary battle
between authors who attacked women and those who defended them. It lasted for
three centuries and raged in all European countries and in many languages. The
written texts reflect the serious or joculatory discussions that took place in
universities, literary circles, church gatherings and in the homes of the
upperclasses.
Our interest in these writings lies in the fact that many of the
reasonings marshalled against women, or those in their favour, were
theological arguments, arguments drawn from Sacred Scripture or from the
Fathers of the Church. They provide interesting insights in the religious
thinking of the time, and clearly show up the existing theological as well as
cultural prejudices.
We offer here a partial list, which we hope to expand in time. Some of
these writings we publish in full on this website.
In the Middle Ages some women stood out by their leadership and
personality:
- Gertrude of Helfta, 1256–1301/02
- Catherine of Siena, 1347 - 1380
AD
- Madame Eglantyne, a 14th Century
Prioress who featured in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Texts so far published on our site:
- A new disputation against women,
in which it is demonstrated that they are not human beings, Leipzig
1595.
- A Thorough and researched description .... on
Whether Women are Human Beings or Not?!, 1618.
- Man Superior to woman, or the natural right
of the man to sovereign authority over the woman, asserted and defended,
London 1737.
LIST
1451
Isotta Nogarola, Über die gleiche oder ungleiche
Sünde Evas und Adams [= About whether the sin of Eve and Adam are the
same or not], 1451.
1525
Galeazzo Flavio Capella, Delle eccellenza e
dignità delle donne [= About the excellence and dignity of women],
1525 , recent edition: by Maria Luisa Doglio, Rome 1988.
1529
Henricus Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, Declamatio
de nobilitate et praecellentia Foeminei sexus [= Proclamation of the
nobility and excellence of the female sex], Antwerp 1529. German: Vom Adel
vnd Fürtreffen Weibliches geschlechts, 1540.
1534
Gratien Dupont, Les controverses des Sexes masculin
et femenin [= The controversies concerning the masculine and feminine
sexes], Tholose 1534.
1549
Lodovico Demenichi, La nobilta delle donne [= The
nobility of Women], Venetia 1549.
1555
François de Billon, Le fort inexpugnable de
l'honneur de sexe femenin [= The indisputable proof of the honour of the
female sex], Paris 1555.
1564
Jean de Marconville, De la bonté et
mauvaiseté des femmes [= About women’s goodness and malice],
Paris 1564. P
1590
Thomas Nashe. An Almon for a parrot. London 1590.
N
1594
Alexandre de Pont-Agneri. Paradoxe apologique, ou il
est fidellement démonstré que la femme est beaucoup plus parfait
que l'homme en toute action de vertu. Paris 1594. Transl. Anthony
Manday, A woman's worth, defended against all the men in the world. Proving
them to be more perfect, excellent and absolute in all virtuous actions, then
any man of what quality so ever, London 1599.
1595
Acidalius Valens.Disputatio Nova contra
mulieres qua probatur eas homines non esse [=A New Debate against women
in which it is proved that they are not human beings], Leipzig 1595.
Original in Oxford Bodleyan Library. Rawlinson D421. Editions in
many languages. English 1 Jan 1677 by Paul Lorrain. Then: Charles Carrington,
A Paradox on women, wherein it is sought to prove that they do not belong to
the human species, Paris 1898.
1600
Lucrezia Marinella, Le Nobiltà et eccellenze
delle donne, e I diffetii e mancamenti de gli huomini [= The nobility and
excellence of women, and the defects and shortcomings of men], Venetia 1600.
1618
Anonymous,
Gründ= und probierliche Beschreibung …Belangend die Frag, Ob die
Weiber Menschen seyn, oder nicht?, 1618,1660, etc. See the translation here: A
Thorough and researched description .... on Whether Women are Human Beings or
Not?!
1600
Moderata Fonte: Il Merito delle Donne [= The
Merits of Women], 1600.
1622
Marie de Jars de Gournay, Egalité des Hommes
et des Femmes [= The Equality of Men and Women], 1622; Grief des Dames
[= Women’s Complaint], 1626.
1629
Gottfried Cundisius & Johannes Bergmannus, Disputato
Philosophica de Mulieribus [= ‘Phisolophical debate about
Women’], Wittenberg 1629.
1631
Johann Frawenlob: Die Lobwürdige Gesellschafft
Der Gelehrten Weiber [= The praiseworthy companionship of educated Women],
1631/1633.
1636
Johan van Beuerwyck (Beverovicius), De excellentia
Foeminei sexus [= About the Excellence of the Female Sex], Dordrecht 1636.
Dutch: Van de Wtnementheyt Des Vrovwelicken Geslachts, 1639, 1643.
1637
William Austin, Haec homo, wherein the excellency of
the creation of women is described, London 1637.
1641
Anna Maria van Schurman, Dissertatio de ingenii
muliebris ad doctrinam, & meliores litteras aptitudine [Treatise of
woman’s competence in knowledge, & aptitude for higher literature],
Lugduni Batavorum 1641.
1651
Arcangela Tarabotti, Che le donne siano della Spetie
degli huomini [= That women belong to the human species], Venezia 1651.
1653
Lucretia Marinella (1571-1653), Die Schönheit
der Frau. Abglanz des Göttlichen. Drei ihrer philosophisch-theologischen
und frauenbezogenen Schriften. [= Woman’s Beauty, Reflection of
Divinity. Three of her philosophical/theological writings related to
women].
1655
Joh. Henricus Hottinger, Historiae Ecclesiasticae
Novi Testamenti Seculum XVI .Serenissimae celsissimaeque Principi
Elisabethae Palatinae [= The Sixteenth Century in the Ecclesiastical
History of the New Testament. To the most serene and highest Queen Elisabeth],
1655.
1663
Wilhelm Ignatius Schütz, Ehren=Preiß
Deß Hochlöblichen Frauen=Zimmers [= Reward for highly
praiseworthy Woman], 1663.
1666
Johannes Gorgias (Poloandin), Gestürtzter
Ehren=Preiß des hochlöblichen Frauen=Zimmers [= Fallen Reward of
highly praiseworthy Woman], 1666.
1669
Gijsbert Voet, ‘De Mulieribus’ [= About
Women], in Politica Ecclesiastica, vol. II, tract. 4, Utrecht 1669.
1671
Jacobus Thomasius, Johannes Sauerbrei & Jacobus
Smalcius, De foeminarum eruditione [= About women’s education],
1671/1676.
1672
Franciscus Henricus Hoeltich and Johannes Caspains
Waltz, Foemina non est homo [= A Woman is no Human Being], Wittenberg
1672.
1673
Sigmund von Birken, Pegnesis: oder der Pegnitz
Blumgenoß-Schäfere FeldGedichte, 1673.
1673
Francois Poullain de la Barre, De
l'égalité des deux sexes; discours physique et moral, où
l'on voit l'importance de se défaire du préjugez [= The
Equality of the two Sexes. A physical and moral discussion in which one
discovers the importance of ridding onself of prejudice], Paris 1673.
Nicolaus Lünker & Johannes Georg Manckel,
Dissertatio de Praecellentia Marium juridica pro Faeminis [= Treatise on
the juridical precedence of Husbands over their Wives], Gießen 1673.
1675
Drechsler/Mylius, De praejudiciis [= About
Prejudices], 1675.
1678
Georg Schultze De blanda mulierum Rhetorica [=
About Women’s Charming Rhetoric], 1678.
1679
A Person of quality, Female excellence, or, woman
displayed, in several satyrick poems. London 1679. P
1684
Nicolaus Einert & Jo. Georg. Pritz, Disputatio de
Imperio Uxoris in Familia [= Debate about the Dominion of the Wife over the
Family], Leipzig 1684.
1686
Johannes Pasch & Joh.Andreas Planer, Gynaeceum
Doctum sive Dissertatio historico-literaria Vom Gelehrten Frauenzimmer [=
Educated Womanhood, or a historical/literary treatise on Educated Women],
1686/1701.
1688
Magnus Daniel Omeis & Christoph Christian Haendel,
Dissertatio de eruditis Germaniae mulieribus [= Treatise on Erudite
Women in Germany], 1688.
1689
Lange/Schneider, De praejudiciis seu praeconceptis
opinionibus [= About Prejudices, that is: preconceived opinions], 1689.
1699
Johannes Esberg & Petrus Hedengrahn, Exercitium
academicum Mulieres philosophantes leviter adumbrans [= An Academic
Exercise that lightly touches Women who philosophise], 1699/1700/1701
1705
Christian Franz Paullini, Zeit=kürtzende
Erbauliche Lust [= Time-shortening, edifying Fun], 1695; Philosophischer
Feyerabend [= Philosophical Leisure Time], 1700; Das Hoch=und
Wohl=gelehrte Teutsche Frauen=Zimmer [= The highly Educated German Woman],
1705 (1712).
1708
Gustav Georg Zeltner & Johann Conrad Zeltner,
Deborae inter prophetissas eruditio tanquam eruditarum foeminarum ex Hebraea
gente specimen [= Deborah, the most erudite prophetess, as a model for
educated women of Jewish stock], 1708/1717.
1714
Georg Christian Lehms, Teutschlands Galante
Poetinnen [= Germany’s Charming Women Poets], 1715; Anhang
Ausländischer Dames [= Appendix on Foreign Women], 1714.
1716
Anonym [Zacharias Porzig], Lob=Rede Des Frauenzimmers
in gebundener Rede, Nebst beygefügten Historischen Remarqven von einigen
angeführten gekehrten und heroischen Frauens-Persohnen [= Praise of
Woman in summary form, with added historical remarks about some heroic women
who were deceived and abandoned], 1716.
1721
Christoph August Heumann, Acta philosopharum, das
ist, Nachricht von der Philosophie des Frauenzimmers [= The Acts of Women
Philosphers, i.e. a report of the Philosophy of Women], 1721.
1739
Sophia, Woman not inferior to man: or, a short and
modest vindication of the natural right of the fairer sex to a perfect equality
of power, dignity and esteem, with men, London 1739.
1739
A Gentleman, Man Superior to woman, or the natural
right of the man to sovereign authority over the woman, asserted and
defended, London 1739, 1744.
1742
Dorothea Christiane Leporin, Gründliche
Untersuchung der Ursachen, die das weibliche Geschlecht vom Studiren
abhalten [= A Thorough Study of the Causes that keep the Female Sex from
being Educated], 1742.
Elfriede Walesca Tielsch, Femina sapiens. Kampf und
erfolg der Frau als Philosophin, Naturwissenschaftlerin oder Ärztin, in
Orient und Antike, Mittelalter, Renaissance und Neuzeit [= The Wise Woman.
The Struggle and Success of Woman as Philosopher, Biologist, Physician, in the
Ancient East, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Modern Times], 1742.
1791
Heinrich Nudow, Apologie des schönen Geschlechts
oder Beweis, daß die Frauenzimmer Menschen sind [= Defence of the
beautiful Sex, or the Proof that Women are Human Beings], 1791.
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