Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/politicsofvirtueOOIoeb SeniorHonor'sThesis in the DepartmentofHistory Sweet BriarCollege Defended and Approved 17April 2006 The PoliticsofVirtue: Christine de Pizan'sGendered Body Politic and its Practical Applications Margaret E. Loebe Professor Lynn Laufenberg,Thesis Project FacultyAdvisor ' Date ProfessorTracyChapman Hamilton Date _ . ProfessorAndrew Walkling Date SeniorHonor'sThesis in the Department ofHistory SweetBriarCollege DefendedandApproved 17 April 2006 The PoliticsofVirtue: Christinede Pizan'sGendered BodyPolitic anditsPractical Applications MargaretE. Loebe ProfessorLynnLaufenberg,Thesis ProjectFaculty Advisor ProfessorTracyChapmanHamilton ProfessorAndrewWalkling 8 LOEBE TableofContents Introduction 2 ChapterI: Virtue asafoundationofChristine'sgenderedpohticaltheory 1 ChapterII: The Queen's PowerintheHighandLate Middle Ages 36 ChapterIII: The Application ofPoliticalTheorytoPolitics 49 Conclusion 58 WorksCited 61 Appendix: KeyPoliticalFigures 66