Traité de l’éducation des filles

work by Fénelon

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July 14, 2026

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Fénelon's Traité de l'éducation des filles (1687), or "Treatise on the Education of Girls," advocated for a moral and religious education for girls, emphasizing their roles as wives and mothers. He believed girls should learn reading, writing, basic math, history, music, and needlework, with Latin for church purposes. Fénelon cautioned against modern languages, which he felt could lead to moral corruption. His work aimed to make women both Christian and accomplished, avoiding ignorance or excessive sophistication. This treatise offered innovative ideas for female education, critiquing the coercive methods of his time.12

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François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon
…wrote his first important work, Traité de l’éducation des filles (1687; “Treatise on the Education of Girls”). Although generally conservative, the treatise submitted innovative concepts on the education of girls and women and criticized the coercive methods of his day.
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…wrote his first important work, Traité de l’éducation des filles (1687; “Treatise on the Education of Girls”). Although generally conservative, the treatise submitted innovative concepts on the education of girls and women and criticized the coercive methods of his day.
Read More