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The Role of Women During the Scientific Revolution During the Scientific Revolution women decided they were going to erupt from the tradition of being housewives and study science, literature, and astronomy even if men and other women would shun upon them. From the 1600s to the 1700s women attempted to make a break through, some women neglected house worthy chores, personal appearance, and more so that they could study. Although some women did all of these “chores and duties” and still had time to learn about science and other fields.
Many men and women believed that women shouldn’t research science because it is unwomanly like and that they belong in the kitchen. Johann Eberti a german astronomer said about Marie Cunitz in 1650, “She was so deeply engaged in astronomical speculation that she neglected her household. The daylight hours she spent, for the most part, in bed because she had tired herself from watching the stars at night. ” This man is very sexist and thinks that it is a women’s job to take care of the household yet the man has just as large as a role as she does.
Johann Jablonski secretary of the Berlin Academy of Sciences in 1710 wrote this letter to the Academy president opposing Maria Winkelmann’s application for membership, “I do not believe that Marie Winkelmann should continue to work on our official calender of observations. It simply will not do. Even before her husband’s death, the Academy was ridiculed because its calender was prepared by a woman. If she were to be kept on in such a capacity, mouths would gape even wider. Seeing that she was a women she was shunned upon and people did not want her working on the calender because they would be ridiculed if it were written by a women because this was not the proper job for a woman. If a man wrote the same thing not a word would have been said which is ridiculous. Nevertheless Gottfried Kirch a German Astronomer, Husband of Marie Winkelmann said in 1680, “Early in the morning (about 2:00 a. m. ), the sky was clear and starry.
Some nights before, I had observed a variable star, and my wife (as I slept) wanted to find and see it for herself. In doing so, she Found a comet in the sky. At which I time she woke me and I found that it was indeed a comet. I was surprised that I had not seen it the night before. ” I’m not sure if it’s funny or sad that when Gottfried Kirch’s wife spotted a comet he almost claimed it as his or as his mistake I think that it was clearly Marie Winkelmann’s discovery and that it is malarkey that he gets most credit for it and that her name was barley mentioned.
Few women and men believe that women are just as good as men or that it depends on the person and gender doesn’t effect the knowledge, and that women can do their household duties and study. The Gottingen newspaper wrote an article describing Dorthea Scholzer, the first women to receive a Ph. D from a German university in 1787. Usually one thinks of a learned woman as neurotic. And should she ever go beyond the study of literature into higher sciences, one knows in advance that her clothing will be neglected and her hair will be done in an antiquarian fashion….
For Mademoiselle Schlozer, this is not at all the case. She sews, knits, and understands household economy perfectly well. ” This proves that women are fully capable of doing all the house duties look and dress well and have time for studying. In some cases it puts her above men because she still finds room for her studies on top of all of the house chores. Gottfried Leibniz a German mathematician and philosopher said in 1697, ” I have often thought that women of elevated mind advance knowledge more properly than do men. So even men thought that women can be just as smart or even smarter than men and it depends on the actual persons knowledge. Johann Junker the head of the university of Halle said in 1745, “Learned women little attention as long as they limit their study to music and arts. ” Many people believed as long as women don’t study mathematics, science, or literature that no attention will be called upon them and they will be socially accepted as long as they limit their studies to arts and music.