Enlightening Women: Pedagogy and Philosophy in Late 18th-Century Germany

Pedagogical texts represent an important but overlooked source for discerning and appreciating the philosophical views of women in the early modern period. In this chapter, I consider two representative cases taken from the vibrant Hamburg intellectual scene in the late 18th-century, namely, Elise Reimarus (1735–1805) and Amalia Holst (1758–1829). In the first section, I begin with a general overview of the interplay between philosophy and pedagogy throughout 18th century Germany, with particular focus on Johann Bernhard Basedow (1724–90). In the second section, I consider the pedagogical writings of Reimarus and show how through her pedagogical texts she advances a moderate enlightened agenda concerning a variety of philosophical topics, including God’s nature and attributes, the soul and its immortality, the nature of moral obligation, as well as woman’s vocation and the need for education. In the third section, I turn to Holst and contend that in her pedagogical texts she stakes out rather more radical positions on the same issues. In the end, I show that both Reimarus and Holst are excellent examples of how pedagogical texts became a means for women to engage with some of the most important and controversial philosophical discussions of their time.