Q0542
“Just as women's bodies are softer than men's, so their understanding is…” — Christine de Pizan (The Book of the City of…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Book of the City of Ladies (1405). Theme: reason.
English
Just as women's bodies are softer than men's, so their understanding is more sharp and clever.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of the City of Ladies (1405) and files it under Renaissance Humanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Christine de Pizan
Christine de Pizan (1364–c. 1430) was an Italian-born writer active at the French court who authored poetry, political advice books, and The Book of the City of Ladies.
How to read this passage
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, education, equality.
Concepts in this quote
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
- Education
- Education appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat education as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Equality
- Equality appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat equality as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Christine de Pizan. (n.d.). Just as women's bodies are softer than men's, so their understanding is more sharp and clever. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0542
MLA: Christine de Pizan. “Just as women's bodies are softer than men's,….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0542.
Chicago: Christine de Pizan. “Just as women's bodies are softer than men's,….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0542.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Just as women's bodies are softer than men's,…”?
The passage is attributed to Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies (1405). The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of the City of Ladies (1405) and files it under Renaissance Humanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Christine de Pizan mean by reason?
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, education, equality.