The Renaissance's humanist belief in universal education, even for women, gave way to

the suspicions and fears of education for women during the Reformation, before the expansion of

commerce during the 18th Century lead to a growing need for educated women to assist in

family businesses. Most of the articles question not a woman's capacity to learn but if they were

worthy and in need of an education. Of the periods in question, the Renaissance was the most

supportive of the education of women. The Reformation and Counter Reformation were negative

and fearful towards the education of women. While the Age of Enlightenment saw clashing

opinions, some regions of Europe began to see the potential economic gains that would exist if

women were educated.

The Renaissance, and the humanist views of the time, strongly supported the education of

women. Humanists valued the education of all people regardless of sex and social standings.

With the education provided to them, women became philosophers, poets, and lawyers. Women

were educated independent of their social status. Castiglione believed that all woman needed to

be educated so that they were able to carry on a conversation with a person (Doc A-1). Education

made women better people. With study, a woman would not be idle and would learn how to act

virtuously (Doc A-3). The poet Louise Labe found that education brought a woman honor, glory,

and pleasure (Doc A-4). In Erasmus' “The Abbot and the Learned Lady” the woman is able to

convince the Abbot that her education is important. The lady uses logic to support her views,

whereas the man rebuts her argument with an illogical statement relating chastity and Latin. The

lady is portrayed as the smarter of the two in the conversation (A-2). Queen Elizabeth I is an

example of a woman who excelled in her schooling. Her teacher, Roger Ascham, praised the

achievements that she had made by the age of sixteen. Her dignity and gentleness were apparent

to her tutor. She was quick and eager to learn and never stopped trying to improve herself (Doc

A-5). Even during the heightened time of the Renaissance, some people, such as the historian
Theodore Agrippa D'Aubigne, opposed the education of middle class women. He claimed that

educating women of the middle class caused them to think of themselves above housekeeping,

poverty, and a less intelligent husband. The mere fact that he is concerned with a wife being

more intelligent than her husband, proves that during the Renaissance it was generally accepted

that woman were as intelligent as men. He believed that the only women who needed education

were royalty (Doc A-5). With a few exceptions, the Renaissance advocated the education of

women of all social ranks.

The theologians of the Reformation and Counter Reformation were particularly opposed

to the education of women. The Catholic Church thought that laymen had no need for education.

The priests of the Church were the only ones who needed to be able to read Latin. Therefore,

education was limited only to men, because only men could become priests. Martin Luther, who

was originally interested in reforming the Church instead of forming a new religion, went so far

as to claim that women should not be educated because of their wide hips and narrow shoulders.

He thought that women should stay at home to do housekeeping and care for children (Doc B-1).

Emond Auget, a Catholic, claimed that women should not be educated because, if educated, they

would read the Bible and misinterpret its meaning. He supports Saint Paul's opinion that women

should not be heard in church (Doc B-2). Marie Dentier, an educated Calvinist, was in the

minority that disagreed with both the Protestant and Catholic Churches' suppression of women.

She found it ironic that her Church prevented her from using a gift God gave to her and other

women (Doc B-3). The Protestant and Catholic churches of the Reformation and Counter

Reformation feared and opposed the education of women.

During the Age of Enlightenment women began to receive education again, in some areas

it was limited to upper class but in others it was more inclusive. Some religious writers, such as

John Milton, still believed that no women were worthy of an education and were to follow their

husbands (Doc C-1). Women of the middle class were being educated, but many people were

opposed to their education. Because they were voicing their discontent, it proves that middle
class women were receiving educations. Madame de Maintenon, a teacher of girls and wife of

Louis XIV, believed that education for women of the middle class should be limited. She

believed that women should learn what is needed for their social status and the occupations

within their social ranks. Middle class women did not need to learn fancy writing, instead they

only needed to be taught arithmetic and enough writing to keep accounts. She states that a person

who transcends their social status displeases God (Doc C-4). Moliere, a satirical playwright,

ridicules the opinion that only upper class women should be educated in his play The Learned

Ladies. The man in his play writes his sister expressing his concern that educated middle class

women are not meant to know so much of the world. Although he is opposed to the education of

them, the man proves that women of the middle class are becoming educated by talking about it.

He fears that the women of his house know too much about the moon and telescopes and are

neglecting the chores in the house (Doc C-2). The Netherlands, and other countries that relied

heavily on trade, found that women were important to successful economies. Men needed to

trusts their wives to manage their business if they were gone on a voyage or died. Men were less

likely to sell their trades if they knew that their business could survive under the management of

his wife. Sons and daughters were educated equally in the Netherlands (Doc C-3). Women of the

early 18th Century were educated based on the skills needed for their social class.

Humanism during the Renaissance supported the education of all people, leading to the

fears of education that arose in the Reformation, which preceded the contradictory opinions of

thinkers during the Age of Enlightenment. During all three periods most people, excluding a few

religious people, believed that women had the potential to learn but were not certain if they

needed or were worthy of an education. The criteria for the education of women changed from

period to period. During the Renaissance, all women were educated because expanding the mind

was the righteous thing to do. The theologians of the Reformation were opposed to the education

of women and only educated men who were becoming clergy. The Age of Enlightenment

educated women based on social standings, in which middle class woman were taught what was
needed for them to carry on their husband's business.