Chapitre IX. L’éducation des filles

Abstract

The reflections of Giles of Rome on girls' education are part of a broader movement that, from the second half of thirteenth century, develops a speech devoted specifically to the question. The education manuals, which concern the girls multiply not only in France but also in England, Spain and Italy. In his De regimine principum, Giles of Rome introduced his considerations on girls' education by making the following observation: cum ex usu coniugii non solum oriantur filii and males, sed oriri possunt filiae and foeminae The earliness of development of the young girl, with respect to that of boy, reflects, according to Giles of Rome, its inferiority; leaning on Aristotle, he explains that nature takes less time to conduct the things lower than their perfection. Thirty years before Giles of Rome, Vincent of Beauvais is interested, too, in girls' education. The original text of the chapter is in French.Keywords: Aristotle; broader movement; De regimine principum; Giles of Rome; girls' education; Vincent of Beauvais