The Concept of Woman, Vol. 2 Part 1: The Early Humanist Reformation, 1250-1500

by Prudence Allen

This seminal work is the second volume of a widely praised study of the concept of woman in the history of Western philosophy. Sister Prudence Allen explores claims about sex and gender identity in the works of over fifty philosophers (both men and women) in the late medieval and early Renaissance periods.

Touching on the thought of every philosopher who considered sex or gender identity between A.D. 1250 and 1500, The Concept of Woman provides the analytical categories necessary for situating contemporary discussion of women in relation to men. Adding to the accessibility of this fine discussion are informative illustrations, helpful summary charts, and extracts of original source material (some not previously available in English).

Encyclopedic in coverage yet clearly organized and well written, The Concept of Woman will be an invaluable resource for readers interested in a wide range of disciplines.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Gender

634 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Amy Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of the Concept of Woman was much drier than the first one. The structure of the work makes great sense from the high level, but from down in the weeds it could get a bit dull. Definitely still worth the read though!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like her other works, Prudence Allen‘s achievement in this book is massive. (Her bibliography for this volume alone is nearly 40 pages long.) That said, I found this the most difficult of the three to work my way through. The amount of texts under consideration are so vast that it is difficult to retain a coherent argument. Not light reading, but still quite useful.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, monumental, Allen systematizes much historical work that I don't think has ever been touched on before.