Joseph Addison [ Art and Literature / Politics ]
… Shaftesbury , Addison’s polite social ideal was distinctly heterosocial: he believed that interactions between men and women improved the manners of both sexes. He thought that ‘women were formed to temper Mankind, and sooth them into Tenderness and Compassion; not to set an Edge upon their Minds, … everyone. It would not be the preserve of one sex, but rather would be enlivened by the sociable interactions of men and women when brought together. This may explain why Addison chose to write periodical essays, as they were distributed …
Literature | Manners | Periodicals | Politeness | Whigs | Wit
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