The Contest for Knowledge: Debates over Women's Learning in Eighteenth-Century ItalyAt a time when women were generally excluded from scholarly discourse in the intellectual centers of Europe, four extraordinary female letterate proved their parity as they lectured in prominent scientific and literary academies and published in respected journals. During the Italian Enlightenment, Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Giuseppa Eleonora Barbapiccola, Diamante Medaglia Faini, and Aretafila Savini de' Rossi were afforded unprecedented deference in academic debates and epitomized the increasing ability of women to influence public discourse. The Contest for Knowledge reveals how these four women used the methods and themes of their male counterparts to add their voices to the vigorous and prolific debate over the education of women during the eighteenth century. In the texts gathered here, the women discuss the issues they themselves thought most urgent for the equality of women in Italian society specifically and in European culture more broadly. Their thoughts on this important subject reveal how crucial the eighteenth century was in the long history of debates about women in the academy. |
Contents
The Italian Enlightenment Reform of the Querelle des Femmes | 1 |
Volyme Editors Bibliography | 23 |
1 Giuseppa Eleonora Barbapiccola | 37 |
2 The Debate of the Academy of the Ricovrati | 67 |
3 Aratafila Savini de Rossi | 102 |
4 Maria Gaetana Agnesi | 117 |
5 Diamante Medaglia Faini | 141 |
| 159 | |
| 173 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Academy Accademia ancient Anne Lefèvre Antonio Vallisneri Arcadia Aretafila Savini arguments Aristotle authority Barbapiccola Bologna Cambridge Caminer Turra Cartesian century Chicago Press Christian Christine de Pizan contemporary cultural Dacier daughter debate defend Descartes Diamante Medaglia Faini discourse donna Early Modern edited and translated education of women Eighteenth-Century Italian Elisabetta erudite famous father female filosofia Francesco French Gender Giambattista Vico Giovanni Antonio Volpi Giuseppa Eleonora Giuseppe Giusto Fontanini Greek Guerci History humanist husband intellectual Isotta Nogarola Italian Enlightenment Italy knowledge Latin Laura Bassi learned women literary Lucrezia male Maria Gaetana Agnesi Medieval Milan Naples nature noble oration Oxford Padua Paula Findlen philosophy Pietro Piscopia poet poetry praise Rebecca Messbarger Renaissance René Descartes Republic of Letters Ricaldone Ricovrati role Roman Rome Rossi Saint sciences Settecento storia studi delle donne Tarabotti things tradition trans University of Chicago Valletta Venice Vico virtue wife woman women's education writing York