Theeighteenth-centurytextWorkonWomenbyLouiseDupin(alsoknownasMadameDupin,1706-1799)istheFrenchEnlightenment’smostin-depthfeministanalysisofinequality--anditsmostneglectedone.AngelaHunterandRebeccaWilkinhereofferthefirst-evereditionofselectedtranslationsofDupin’smassiveproject,developedfrommanuscriptdrafts.HunterandWilkinprovidehelpfulintroductionstothefoursectionsofWorkonWomen(Science,HistoryandReligion,Law,andEducationandMores)whichcontextualizeDupin’sargumentsandexplainthework’sconstruction--includingtheroleofhersecretary,Jean-JacquesRousseau.Dupin’scentralclaiminWorkonWomenisthatFrenchjuristshavegraduallydisenfranchisedwomenthroughreductiveinterpretationsofRomanlaw.Asaresult,modernmarriageisfoundedonanabusive,illegitimatecontractthatenrichesonepartyandimpoverishestheother.Thismanifestinjusticeisenabledbythe“masculinevanity“thataggrandizesmen,diminisheswomen,anddistortsallrealmsofknowledge.Dupinshowshowthemostreputablescientistsincorporateoldnotionsofwomen’sweaknessintonewunderstandingsofthebody,whilehistoriansdenigratefemalerulersorerasethemaltogether.Evenineverydayconversation,menasserttheirentitlementtosocialdominancethroughcasualmisogyny.Thus,althoughDupinadvocatesformeaningfuleducationforgirls,sheinsiststhattheupbringingofboysmustalsobereformed.Thisvolumefillsanimportantgapinthehistoryoffeministthoughtandwillappealtoreaderseagertohearnewvoicesthatchallengeestablishednarrativesofintellectualhistory.
