Grounded in medical, juridical, and philosophical texts (both Latin and French) of early modern France, this innovative study tells the story of how the idea of woman contributed to the emergence of modern science. Rebecca Wilkin re-visits and revises deeply held notions about the place of women in the search for truth, their role in the development of rational thought, and the way early modern intellectuals dealt with the emergence of an influential female public.

Contents: Introduction; Common sense: Johann Weyer and the psychology of witchcraft; The touchstone of truth: Jean Bodin's torturous hermeneutics; Masle morale in the body politic: Guillaume du Vair and André du Laurens; The suspension of difference: Michel de Montaigne's lame lovers; 'Even women': Cartesian rationalism reconsidered; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Rebecca M. Wilkin is Assistant Professor of French at the Pacific Lutheran University, USA.