Western Civilization - History Of European Society

The Culture of Old Regime Europe391

answer is clear... in Reason.” Because women pos-
sessed reason as well as men, they were equally preemi-
nent and should be treated that way: “[I]f they be really
capable of acting like rational creatures, let them not be
treated like slaves.” And she proclaimed her own, un-

equivocal stand, unwilling to submit to domination by

men: “I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real or

usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an

individual demands my homage; and even then the sub-

mission is to reason, and to not to man.”