A new education of women. Denis Diderot’s anatomy course project for young noble women
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Date
2013
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Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk we współpracy z Zakładem Historii Wychowania, WSE UAM
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Abstract
Abstract. A new education of women. Denis Diderot’s anatomy course project for young noble
women
Denis Diderot (1713–1784) explained how women’s education should be different than before.
A woman should be considered a citizen, Diderot demanded placing primary social importance on
her domestic activity. An interesting feature of this new approach to education of women was to
include an anatomy course in their personal development. Denis Diderot did not devote a separate
tractate to the issue of women’s education, nor did he write a concise curriculum in anatomy.
However, the remarks scattered among various texts by the philosopher concerning that innovative
concept allow us not only to reconstruct a fairly cohesive draft of an anatomy course for girls, but
also superbly illustrate Diderot’s commitment to realization of his own ideas. Secondly, we need to
consider the activities of one Ms. Biheron – the organizer of public anatomy courses – which exerted,
as we will see, a huge influence on Diderot’s conviction of the need to incorporate such courses in
women’s education. In the last part of the discourse, the involvement of the French philosopher in
the educational reforms of Catherine II should be noted. The analysis of Diderot’s texts on education
clearly indicates that the philosopher put a strong emphasis on changes in the methods of teaching
women. As the director of St. Petersburg facility for girls he managed to partially put his project into
effect. Of course, for French philosophers – blind to Russian realities – the unquestionable success
of Diderot’s anatomy course might be another argument for the proclamation of the view that
Catherine II realized in her country the postulates of the Enlightenment.
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enlightement, Diderot, anatomic education, sexual education, Catherine the Great, gender studies
Citation
Biuletyn Historii Wychowania, 2013, nr 29, s. 7-14
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ISSN
1233-2224