Gabrielle Suchons ord till kvinnan (Textuella förutsättningar, språkliga ytterligheter och symboliskt värde)

Abstract

Gabrielle Suchon (1632-1703), was a seventeenth century philosopher, convinced by the equality of the sexes. Her debut thesis, Ethics and Politics - Divided into Three Parts: Freedom, Knowledge and Authority, is regarded to be the first work of its length fully dedicated to the woman’s question, written by a woman. With a purpose to both enlighten and to reinforce, in Suchon’s own words, all the persons of the sex. Suchon’s work presents undeniable examples of historical women of importance to argue that the inequality between is due to corrupt man-made laws and not a result of women being less capable than men. She is presenting how freedom, knowledge and authority for women should be implemented within the society and not only be beneficial for a limited number of women, causing a disunion. In her second thesis On the Celibate Life Freely Chosen she expands her conception on autonomy and presents a new role for women: Neutralist - in which she presents different strategies for women to live independent and to engage in education. This thesis purpose is to present Suchon’s ideas and illustrate how her conception of equality is integrating women to be a part of society and to still be free within its institutions. Her view on individual freedom within the concept of collective rights is something I will develop in this thesis. Along with her dialectic strategies to engage in the women's question, showing the importance of how, where and with whom the discussion of rights takes place.

1.The person of the sex or the person of the fair sex is how Suchon designate all women