Louise Dupin's Work on Women - Selections

Work on Women is the French Enlightenment''s most in-depth feminist analysis of inequality--and its most neglected one. In it, Louise Dupin, also known as Madame Dupin (1706-1799), reveals the sexist bias ("masculine vanity") that informs the knowledge and institutions that shape women''s lives and argues that the subjection of women is a modern phenomenon, based on an illegitimate, abusive marriage contract. This is the first-ever edition of selected translations of Dupin''s massive project, developed from manuscript drafts. Robust introductions to the text contextualize Dupin''s working methods--including the role of her secretary, Jean-Jacques Rousseau-and emphasize the importance of feminist thought to the development of moral and political philosophy.