French+Women+and+the+Enlightenment

=**High class French Women in the Enlightenment**= How did women take role during the Enlightenmnet and what ideas were produced from salons?

Women and Salon
The picture illustrates the distinguished guests with Madame Geoffrin herself in her drawing-room.

Enlightenment, the age of reasons, was developed by high class/ rich middle class French. These aristocratic French women took a monumental role by hosting social gatherings called salons. Guests of salons included all the enlightened thinkers such as artists, philosophes, politicians, and other intellectuals. Most of these events took place near homes of Paris. Just like today's internet world salon provided people the newest and hottest issues going on in France. The primary intention for these ladies were not necessarily to cause revolutions, but was designed for pure entertainment without upsetting the king. However, later the environment changed into a serious working place where new ideas were generated and profound changes in society were proposed by guests. The invitations were not given based on social standing, but on the person's intelligence, wit, and conversation. Philosophes at salons could develop ideas that permitted more rights for women, although not equal as men, and artists and writers reflected a certain degree of femininity in their creations. Philosophes at salons could develop ideas that permitted more rights for women. As the Enlightenment ideas broke the tradition and its' ideas, women's significance was acknowledged to the European world.

Famous Hostesses
1. **Marie-Thérèse de Geoffrin** (1699-1777): This famous madame was a devout Christian who believed in God and his existence. She hosted salons two times a week. She was very attracted to artists and writers (encyclopedists) and helped young inventors establish their talents and gave moral support. Geoffrin's reputation was outstanding that she frequently corresponded with the King of Sweden and Russian's Cather the Great. She was one of the most influential and beloved woman during the Enlightenment.

2. **Suzanne Curchod Necker** (1739-1794): This influential women not only had a husband, Jacques, Necker, who was the France's finance minister for King Louis XVI but she, herself was respected for her knowledge of literature, classical languages, and science. She fulfilled her impulses of breaking down the social barriers in her salon. She was very talented and was able to create her own writings including //Des inhumations précipitées //(1790), //Réflexions sur le divorce // (1794), and miscellaneous collections.

**Philosophe Visitors of Salon and Ideas**
Philosophes were French philosophers of the Enlightenment that began to see the world with reason, sense, and beliefs and determined to find out truths. They were also the ones to question humans' natural rights that led to Revolution toward absolutism. These were some of the philosophes that expressed their ideas through salon.

1. **John Locke**: A human was naturally born pure. The society is the factor that shapes people's mind and corrupts. God established divine laws in which the universe conforms and acts within the constraints of them. 2. **Baron de Montesquieu**: The government should be separated into parts with divided obligations and power. 3. **Jean Jacques Rousseau**: All men are equal and the system of nobility must be demolished. Civilization corrupts humans natural goodness.

Image: French salon during the Enlightenment." Image. Lemonnier, Anicet-Charles-Gabriel, //Une soirée chez Madame Geoffrin, 1755,// 1812. //World History: The Modern Era//. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
 * Citation:**

Kent, HRH Princess Michael. //Cupid and the King//. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Lang, Sean. //European History for Dummies//. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, LTD. 2006.

Mckay, Hill, Buckler. //A History of World Societies: Volume II Since 1500//. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992.

 Brown, Lorri. "Women and The Enlightenment." Web log post. //West European History//. Suite101, 16 Jan. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

House of the Muse." //Salon Du Muse//. Suzanne Vega. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. .

The Enlightenment." //Revolution//. ThinkQuest Team C00625. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. .

and my dear notebook