Humanistic and protestant approaches to women's education in the XVI century

The article deals with women's education in the XVI century, according to the artistic and normative texts of the era. The author identifies two approaches to women's education of that time - the humanistic one, characteristic of Thomas More and his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam, and the Protestant one, reflected in the school statutes of the followers of the Reformation. A distinctive feature of the humanistic approach can be considered as somewhat elevated, refined understanding of women's education. It acts as an elite, accessible only to a select few. The main source of such information is the artistic works of humanists. Protestants are characterized by a broader, one might say, "democratic" approach to women's education. It should be accessible to everyone, because only in this way (through education) can one comprehend the "highest plan" in relation to oneself and thereby gain salvation. The sources of information here are the regulatory documents of the era. It is noteworthy that in the latter case, the subject of education and upbringing is a "new" character of pedagogical thought - a girl, a daughter.