Analysis Of Juan Luis Vives De Institutione Feminae Christianae

Juan Luis Vives wrote ‘De Institutione Feminae Christianae’ in 1524 to impart his, arguably modern, views on the education of Christian women onto his audience. Born in Valencia in 1492, Vives was a Spaniard and as member of a Jewish family he was well educated. He attended the University of Valencia before moving to Paris where he gave private lectures and began writing Treatise of his own. This particular source was written for Catherine of Aragon, and was the first of its kind to address universal education for women. Vives wrote this source to inform, his good friend and wife of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, and other high status individuals of his belief that everyone should be educated, displaying a modern opinion for his time. However, …show more content…
Vives also succumbs to this belief, which is clearly displayed in his writing as he claims ‘it were better to be at home’. Within the sixteenth century, widespread biblical teachings also supported the patriarchy as men were made in God’s image and woman made in mans, thus rendering them inferior. This contributed to the expectation of women to remain in the home ‘for it neither becometh a woman to rule a school nor live among men’. Vives has been clearly influenced by the context in which he lived, as he exhibits the conventional view of the sixteenth century, which also had its roots in the law. Women were not considered legal entities unless they were widowed; the husband ran the house, took care of the legalities and was responsible for his woman to remain aligned with social expectations. Vives shows us how ingrained into sixteenth century society the subordination of ‘cold and wet’ women to the ‘warm and dry’ man by stating ‘let few see her and none at all hear her’. It is clear that Vives’ source was written for male readers, with the exception of Catherine of Aragon with a skewed perspective and negative tone to independent and intelligent