Mary Jo Mac Donald
"Persons of the Sex are True Wonders":
Gabrielle Suchon on Difference and Political Wonders
​​​​
Gabrielle Suchon’s Treatise on Ethics and Politics (1693) offers surprising descriptions of sexual difference for an ostensibly feminist work. Stereotypically feminine traits—such as excessive emotions, chattiness, and deception—are compared to earthquakes, storms, wildfire, and apparitions. Although these descriptions may seem off-putting to modern readers, I argue that Suchon is making a novel intervention in debates about the nature of sexual difference. In the Renaissance and Early Modern period, the salient question about feminine difference was whether it was a preternatural deformity, and specifically a monstrosity. While most pro-woman authors argued that women were not preternatural, Suchon argues the affirmative, claiming that “persons of the sex are true wonders.” In doing so, Suchon presses on a tension at the heart of scholastic conceptions of women while also provoking an emotional response that might encourage men to reconsider whether patriarchal practices are truly to their advantage.
Equality, Modernity, and Inclusion
in Judith Drake's Essay in Defence of the Female Sex
​​​​
Judith Drake’s Essay in Defence of the Female Sex (1696) is a unique contribution to early English feminist thought. Both scathingly funny and remarkably erudite, the work wades into a variety of philosophical, political, and literary debates, showing how they can be brought to bear on the ‘woman question’. Today, the text is unfortunately neglected. The scant literature on Drake treats her as an inconsistent thinker, whose Lockean epistemology mars her feminist project. This paper challenges this reading by arguing that Drake is not simply derivative of Locke but offers an original and prescient argument for women’s inclusion. Rather than base sexual equality on a claim that men and women are identical, Drake argues that sexual differences cannot justify the exclusion of women from public life in modern societies. Drake identifies fundamental transformations happening in her society—including the rise of commerce, translations, and the printing press— and argues that these advancements have provided opportunities for (at least some) women's inclusion. Taking Drake seriously on her own terms, and not merely as a proxy for Locke, offers fresh insights into enduring debates about the relationship between equality, modernity, and inclusion.
Forthcoming in Polity