Establishing a Theory of Contextual Feminine Virtue: Christine de Pizan and Le Livre du Tresor de la Cite des Dames

• In Event: Civic Lessons on Ethics and Virtue in a Contested World

Abstract

Scholars have debated over the writings of fourteenth-century French author, Christine de Pizan, labeling her as feminist or anti-feminist. This paper argues that Christine in Le Livre du Tresor de la Cite des Dames offered a theory of feminine virtue that appears universal, but is entirely contextual. By identifying the theoretical underpinnings of her work, this essay offers a new explanation for why the work of Christine de Pizan has had so many different readings.

Author

• Ryan Shepard, University of Kansas