Marcus Aurelius, Also for Girls: Discussions on the Best Form of Government in Enlightenment Hamburg

Abstract

ELISE REIMARUS (1735–1805), a proud lifelong resident of the republican city state of Hamburg, consistently advocated republican government ideals that rely on the ability of its citizens to participate actively in public affairs and lead others toward the common good. This emphasis on civic participation accounts for Reimarus's insistence on an educated citizenship. In this respect she differed markedly from most contemporary educators who, for good reason, considered a curriculum with history and politics a threat to the stability of a monarchical state and wanted to limit the privilege of education to future noble rulers. Of course, even in Hamburg, citizenship did not eradicate all inequalities. Reimarus wrestled with the reality that women, relegated to domestic roles, were barred from public office and other leadership positions. In this essay I argue that Reimarus nevertheless exercised civic leadership as a writer and educator, advocating political education not only for boys but also for girls. It was not unusual for an eighteenth-century female writer to discuss education: virtually all contemporary women writers did so. But it was not at all common for a female writer explicitly to address civic education and to include girls in the discussion. Reimarus did just that. One of her early works is a treatise on the Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121–180 CE), aimed specifically at girls. This work reflects her understanding that effective government and civic education belong together. While the text survives only in incomplete form and was never printed, as was apparently intended, it is significant, because it shows Reimarus's use of Roman history for educating eighteenth-century girls in civic-political matters. Her portrayal of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus conveys support for a government that promotes the well-being and happiness of the people, listens to the people and their representatives, attends to the weak and vulnerable, uses resources only for the benefit of the common good, respects laws and refrains from arbitrary revenge, and supports education, including female education. In promoting these leadership qualities across genders, based on a male model from classical Rome but intended for a female audience, Reimarus delves into a subject matter usually off-limits for women.