The Spheres Begin to Melt

Abstract For a long period after antiquity, the division of the spheres was non-negotiable. Women’s lives were policed as much as they had been in ancient Greece, but with the added pressure—in Christian countries—of religion. But women still perceived themselves as political animals and managed to negotiate a public presence for themselves. The chapter looks at three women philosophers who did so either by transcending their identity as women, by taking on the roles of men (Pizan) choosing convent (Komnene) or palace (Sei Shōnagon) over the home. Their methods have that in common that they do not seek to break the spheres, but find more fluidity in their movements between them.