If it were customary to send daughters to school like sons, and if they were then taught the natural sciences, they would learn as thoroughly and understand the subtleties of all the arts and sciences as well as sons.
Christine De PizanRead
Does a rake deserve to possess anything of worth, since he chases everything in skirts and then imagines he can successfully hide his shame by slandering [women in general]?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the hypocrisy of men who disrespect women while attempting to hide their own shame.
Christine De Pizan criticizes the behavior of men who seek to chase after women but fail to regard them with respect. By slandering women, these men not only reveal their own insecurities but also demonstrate a lack of worthiness to possess anything of true value, as they prioritize superficial pursuits over genuine character and integrity.
Themes
HypocrisyRespectWomenShameIntegrity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about gender roles and respect, this quote can illustrate the importance of valuing women.
More from Christine De Pizan
All quotes →Condemning all women in order to help some misguided men get over their foolish behaviour is tantamount to denouncing fire, which is a vital and beneficial element, just because some people are burnt by it, or to cursing water just because some people are drowned in it.
Christine De PizanRead
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