The most important/influent female in history?

[Julian Delphiki]

This just struck me odd, but i really have hard time naming the most important / influental female person in history, as it seems that history we know is mostly dominated by the males and male history writers.

So i would like to know your takes on this. No applicants from me yet..

 

[lovett]

Catherine The Great?
Elizabeth I?

 

[BCLG100]

Catherine de Medici was probably more influential than Elizabeth I.

 

[cybrxkhan]

the first woman, whoever she was.

 

[sydhe]

Probably Isabella I of Spain.

In the scientific community, Emma Noether must be near the top with her contributions to mathematics and physics, not to mention the more famous Marie Curie.

In the religious community, you have the Virgin Mary, but her contributions are more legendary. St. Catherine of Siena was influential; more so was St. Clare of Assisi, Francis of Assisi's admirer and friend who founded her own order. Both seem to have been truly admirable people. Not as influential as Isabella, perhaps, but more to be looked up to.

 

[Sofista]

Mary, the mother of God.

 

[BCLG100]

Depends on what you believe there really...

 

[Sofista]

Strictly speaking, you have a point.

But even if the mother of Jesus ben Joseph did nothing notable in her life, the size of her cult and the importance the very existance of such a thing has had/has, must be considered momentous.

 

[BCLG100]

Then you could also put the Mother of Mohammed in that bracket as well.

 

[holy king]

would that mean that jesus' father was more influential than jesus?

 

[Sofista]

One does not have to be a Buddhist to acknowledge Buddha's importance.

Of course, if you want to argue for the sake of it, do...

 

[Bugfatty300]

If Jesus was the most influential man then his mother, Mary has got to be the most influential woman. She is nearly as worshiped and idolized as Jesus is among the Catholic faith.

 

[holy king]

If Jesus was the most influential man then his mother, Mary has got to be the most influential woman.

so a list of the most influential men would read like this?:

1. mohammed
2. mohammed's father
3. isaac newton
4. isaac newton's father
5. jesus
6. jesus' father
7. buddha
8. buddha's father
9. confucius
10. confucius' father

She is nearly as worshiped and idolized as Jesus is among the Catholic faith.

what is being idolized is a myth, not a particular woman.
(it's of course an implementation of mother/fertility cults into christianity)

jesus isnt mentioned as influential because he's being idolized anyway, but because the historic character started christianity. (indirectly)

 

[warpus]

My mom > Jesus' mom

 

[Arwon]

Elizabeth or Cleopatra were great monarchs, but aside from having a vagina they didn't really do anything other male monarchs didn't do. Likewise, the Virgin Mary had no influence, just because she got held up as this figure of worship doesn't mean she had any say over what or how a bunch of dudes chose to use her in their books and doctrines. She's really just a glorified fertility goddess.

In terms of influence, it's gotta be a feminist, most of the others named just served to help perpetuate existing (male-dominated) orders, either religious or secular. Because women were so marginalised and oppressed throughout most of post-agricultural history I think when talking about influence you have to talk about influence in changing and reshaping the social order. Aside from popping up occasionally functioning as ersatz men when circumstance and their own willpower allowed it, I think the most influential thing women could do was help set off the fire of liberation.

I'll say Mary Wollstonecraft just because she was very radical for her time and wrote the first real feminist treatise.

 

[holy king]

well, this isnt about the most influental feminist though...

i'd go for marie curie...

 

[Arwon]

Well let's put it this way. The only serious candidates in the "most influential ever" thread are those who had lasting, far reaching impacts down the ages and in many times and places. That's mostly religious figures, especially Jesus and Mohammed.

To me the only serious candidates among women, who had this sort of widespread impact in time and space, are those who like the most influential men, spread ideas that outlived their temporal impact. Who do you think has had more impact on the way we live our lives today, some random ancient or middle ages monarch who happened to have a vagina, or the big feminist intellectuals and activists of the last 250-odd years?

 

[holy king]

Well let's put it this way. The only serious candidates in the "most influential ever" thread are those who had lasting, far reaching impacts down the ages and in many times and places. That's mostly religious figures, especially Jesus and Mohammed.

To me the only serious candidates among women, who had this sort of widespread impact in time and space, are those who like the most influential men, spread ideas that outlived their temporal impact. Who do you think has had more impact on the way we live our lives today, some random ancient or middle ages monarch who happened to have a vagina, or the big feminist intellectuals and activists of the last 250-odd years?

i pick c) marie curie

anyway, this argumentation makes more sense, right.

 

[Tee Kay]

Discounting mythical figures, I'd say Catherine the Great or Isabella I (politics) and Marie Curie (science).

 

[Mirc]

If Jesus was the most influential man then his mother, Mary has got to be the most influential woman. She is nearly as worshiped and idolized as Jesus is among the Catholic faith.

Then again, the Catholic faith is not the only "flavor" of Christianity on Earth... And other denominations don't give her nearly as much importance as Catholics do. With that being said, I still do think she is the most influential female in history.