Christine de Pizan and the Nature of Men
Synopsis
By Lloyd Hawes
Christine de Pizan’s 1405 work,
The Book of the City of Ladies, is frequently
lauded by modern authors as a manifesto against the misogynist writings of medieval
times. Some modern authors call de Pizan the first feminist and claim she changed the
perception of women in her time. Others assert de Pizan was no feminist. The debate
about de Pizan’s significance on women’s rights during the Middle Ages remains
unsettled. However, Christine de Pizan did condemn male authors for what she
perceived as the debasing of and dehumanization of women. Yet, in modern analysis
over de Pizan’s works, her position on the nature of men is often overlooked. Did
she consider men by their very nature as evil? Or, was it that men were just more
susceptible to evil influences, making many to act against their nature?
Close