Ebook: Aspects of Christine de Pisan’s social and political ideas [PhD diss]

Christine de Pisan, the first professional woman writer in France, is most celebrated as the author of a voluminous output of often conventional love lyrics. However, her sober treatises on a number of social and political issues are even more noteworthy. Much has been written about her feminism and her ideas on education. This dissertation aims at evaluating certain other aspects of her social and political thinking which, hitherto, have not been studied to any extent: her role as a historian, her political thought, her view of the nobility and of chivalric ideals, and the reflection of personal relationships in her works.

As for historical perspective, her attempt to write a biographical history of Charles V in Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V lacks what today might be termed historical method. Coming chronologically between Froissart and Coramynes, her work resembles neither one. Her effort to write a panegyric of Charles V and to glorify his reign has more of an affinity with Joinville's history of Saint Louis. But, what is most important is that she vividly captures the spirit of the age.

Her view of the nobility is ambivalent. Basically a traditionalist, she believes in the power of the nobility to restore France to a position of dignity in world affairs. However, she is keenly aware of their present and past failures, which she mentions in many of her works, outlining the role of chivalry and formulating a plan for the rehabilitation of the nobility.

Moreover, Christine's political commitment places her in the avant- garde of writers who are engages. During the years 1405-1429 she wrote a series of political works which were inspired by a deep feeling of patriotism for her adopted country. Christine was a strident voice in behalf of peace and administrative reform, expressing her opinion at a time when few women dared hold one. A revaluation of her political ideas against the backdrop of historical events which prompted them is in order, since editions of her two main political works, previously unedited, have recently appeared: Le Livre de la paix (1958) and Le Livre du corps de policie (1967).

In addition, her social commentary involves human relationships. Particularly conscious of the family as an entity, she makes frequent references to filial, maternal, and conjugal relationships. Above all, she is an exponent of fidelity in marriage and an opponent of courtly love which she sees as socially undesirable. She is a social and political theorist whose ideas are subservient to moral precepts. Her interest in bettering the human condition is based on her belief in the ultimate triumph of righteousness and in infinite human perfectibility.