Q0543
“Not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it…” — Christine de Pizan (The Book of the City of…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), I.27. Theme: education.
English
Not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it is bad for women to be educated.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), I.27 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
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Mary Wollstonecraft and Plato), education is framed through Platonism and Renaissance Humanism. Some passages define education; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through education, wisdom, equality.
Concepts in this quote
- 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.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
- 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.). Not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it is bad for women to be educated. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0543
MLA: Christine de Pizan. “Not all men (and especially the wisest) share….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0543.
Chicago: Christine de Pizan. “Not all men (and especially the wisest) share….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0543.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Not all men (and especially the wisest) share…”?
The passage is attributed to Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), I.27. The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), I.27 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 education?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Mary Wollstonecraft and Plato), education is framed through Platonism and Renaissance Humanism. Some passages define education; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through education, wisdom, equality.