Philosophy Beyond Misogyny in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Il Corbaccio

This article proposes a new interpretation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s Il Corbaccio by reading it alongside Luce Irigaray’s feminist critique of Western philosophy elaborated in This Sex Which Is Not One . Following scholars who interpret the Corbaccio as satirical, I argue that both Boccaccio and Irigaray, though separated by centuries, identify and challenge philosophy’s systemic exclusion of women as subjects. While Boccaccio and Irigaray differ in their conceptions of the mind-body relationship, both recognize that vindicating the female body is essential to reimagining women’s subjecthood and philosophical participation. This essay argues that the Spirit Guide’s exploitation of philosophical principles for a personal vendetta ultimately indicts not only individual misogynists, but also a philosophical tradition built on gender inequity. In sum, Boccaccio’s critique of bad philosophy anticipates contemporary feminist concerns, encouraging us to reconsider the relationship between medieval and modern thought.