Aspasia c’est moi. Pasiones, razón y espíritu femenino en Germaine de Staël

This essay examines Madame de Staël’s reflection on reason, passion, and gender through a close reading of her philosophical and critical writings. Situating Staël’s thought at the intersection of autobiographical experience, moral philosophy, and political theory, it argues that her conception of the esprit féminin is grounded in a dynamic interplay between sentiment and rationality. Drawing on Rousseau and Kant, Staël revalues emotion—particularly love and pity—as a source of moral knowledge and social cohesion. While she forcefully critiques women’s exclusion from education and intellectual life, the essay highlights the unresolved tension in her acceptance of patriarchal social structures.