Salons and salonnieres Women in the Enlightenment

a salon depicted french painter abraham bosse.

dena goodman describes women in salons of france small number of elite women concerned own education , promoting philosophies of enlightenment. purpose, goodman says, self-satisfy educational needs of women started them. these women host salon either in own home or in hotel dining room dedicated salon s function. salons developed late set meal discourse take place afterwards meal in afternoon last until late @ night. during meal, focus discourse between patrons rather dining. there hierarchical social structure in salons, , social rank of french society upheld under different rules of conversation. conversation meant replicate formality of correspondence limit conflict , misunderstanding between people of different social ranks , orders. allowed common person interact nobility. through these salons, many people able make contacts , possibly move social ladder due fashionable opinions. within hierarchy of salons, women assumed role of governance. governors, rather judges, salonierres provided ground philosopher s serious work shaping , controlling discourse men of letters dedicated , constituted project of enlightenment. in doing, transformed salon leisure institution of nobility institution of enlightenment. women able take position within salons because of gentle, polite, civil nature. goodman uses example of salonierre suzanne necker support claim these salons influenced politics, necker married louis xvi s financial minister. assumption salon s topics might therefore have had bearing on official government policy. salons forum in elite, well-educated women might continue learning in place of civil conversation while governing political discourse , place people of social orders interact.

antoine lilti offers differing opinion. while acknowledging visible hierarchy of salon, lilti maintains [t]he politeness , congeniality of these aristocrats maintained fiction of equality never dissolved differences in status nonetheless made them bearable. salons allowed people of varying social classes converse never equals.

lilti describes 2 roles women in salons, first being took role of prodoctorate.

women of salons played role not unlike 1 traditionally played women in court society: offering protection, acting on behalf of such or such person, mobilizing ministers or courtesans. whether in averting wrath of censors, helping intrepid author out of bastille, securing audience or pension, or jockeying place in french academy, membership in high society , support of female protectors indispensable.

the second reason women involved in salons because salons based on high society s mixed gender sociability. women of salons ensured decency of household , enlivened conversation, , served guarantors of politeness. woman s presence ensured civilized conversation, not governors , discrete way of inducing men control conduct. lilti maintains salons not used way women further education, gathering social events involving both men , women in hostesses welcomed homes both male , female socialites, writers, part of mixed-gendered sociability dedicated elite forms of entertainment: dining together, conversation, theatre, music, games, belles-lettres. there no emphasis on serious intellectual discussion; merely form of entertainment emphasized hierarchy of social ranks.