Feminism : Mary Wollstonecraft

She was a mother, a moral and political philosopher, a writer, and a feminist. Mary Wollstonecraft was the ideal image of what represented the push towards modern feminism. Some may even consider her as the founding mother of modern feminism itself. Much of Wollstonecraft’s literature is influenced by her own life experiences. In 1785, Wollstonecraft took on an employment opportunity as a governess. While spending most of her time there, she had a moment of epiphany where she realized that she was not suited for domestic work. Soon after, she returned to London and became a translator and wrote for a well-known publisher and discovered her love of writing. Eventually, years later she was then able to publish her most notable work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is still a very popular book which can be seen as a guide to becoming a better citizen and understanding feminism in a critical context. This essay will argue that Mary Wollstonecraft is still relevant to the feminist cause today as her views portrayed in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman are still relatable to many of the feminist issues that currently exist around the world. This essay will do so by comparing how her views in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman can still be used as guiding principles to tackle feminist matters.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s famous book, Vindication of the Rights of Women, is “one of the earliest expressions of a feminist consciousness.” Wollstonecraft claims that women are upset mainly due to the fact that they are not receiving the education they deserve, and goes on to explain how women are notorious for being weak, and mentally unstable. She blames the education system for this since all the books are written by men, and they claim that women are barley humans and are treated as another species. She questions the eligibility of men to claim they are better than women. A useful education, in her opinion, is one that teaches students how to be strong and independent. Her directed audience is anyone who is unsure of the true definition and meaning of feminism. Wollstonecraft believes that all humans are capable of the same intelligence, no matter the gender. Her overall idea is that every individual, both male and female, deserve equality.

Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Jacobs’ Incidents In the Life of a

To Wollstonecraft, women could not be acceptable companions to their husbands once early affections have faded away if the only thing women offered their husbands

Wollstonecraft's obligation to Enlightenment scholars is noticeable in her exchanges of guardians and kids and married couples. This citation epitomizes her dissatisfaction with the British government at the time she was composing, which was making a welfare state both by "duplicating wards" and by exhausting the poor to serve the tasks supported by the rich. As one of the more critical masterminds in the Age of Reason, she bravely goes up against British society and legislative issues and Europe's driving political thinkers.

these “female follies,” on men and argues, “From the tyranny of man, I firmly believe, the

5. “Wollstonecraft believes that if a woman submits to a marriage just to remain idle, she has no right to complain of her fate or act like she has a right to disregard rules.”

Wollstonecraft also believes the best kind of education is a public one that introduces her into new and varied ideas instead of a private education that limits her to only her families ideas. Wollstonecraft’s use of religion is a good one because it gives her more authority in her time

She acknowledged how most people believed that women should be beautiful, emotional, and dependent on men. Therefore, women were discouraged from going to school. Out of all the problems in society during that time, this had affected the most amount of people. Wolstonecraft thought the both genders should live by the same principle and equality.You can infer this by when she says ‘’...both sexes must act from the same principle.. Women must be allowed to found their own virtue on knowledge, which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits as men.’’ This means both sexes should hold the same value and be educated the same, but men are afraid that they will be more intelligent than they turn out to be. Wollstonecraft used self-example to explain her reasoning. Wollstonecraft believed that your gender shouldn’t affect how you’re supposed to be treated, what kind of education you should get, or what kind of job you’re supposed to

In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft presented and developed ideas that were groundbreaking and new for her time. She believed the only way women could view their social roles objectively and differently was through education. Her ideas were “unambiguously feminist, although by modern standards, they may seem outdated” (“History of feminism”). But I believe her ideas and theories have relevance for women today inasmuch as today's woman is not as well educated as she might be and therefore open to being taken advantage of, and that many of the same problems of the past still plague us today.

Women in London played a vital role in setting the foundation for the future of women’s rights in Western Civilization. Not only were barriers broken within London, but they became very influential to the future of the liberation movement for women. Interestingly enough, they are believed to be one of the erectors of modern day feminism. Mary Wollstonecraft was an ebullient advocate for women’s rights during the Enlightenment. During this time period, Wollstonecraft taught a new philosophy regarding women and the importance of education. The Enlightenment was a time for reasoning and rational thinking regarding subjects such as science and politics. Nevertheless, these ideas did not correspond with new ways of thinking regarding equal

In Wollstonecraft’s work, she addresses the differences between men and women as being something that should be considered negligible, but instead is used to practically enslave one half of the population. The work details how women are akin to playthings when they lack an education, and that for her to truly be herself and practice her own free will, she must be knowledgeable. However, there are many different kinds of education, Wollstonecraft points out. Men received a formal education, consisting of a proper teaching of many subjects, while also aiding the young men in personal growth. Women, on the other hand, received a much less formal education. In their day to day lives, women observed, they leeched off

Wollstonecraft had two options to pick from. Either start a revolution in regards to women rights and allowing them to be equal or to skillfully inject the

Despite previous years of fighting, the term “feminism” did not come into play until the 1880’s. Coined in France, the term originally represented, “a movement determined to secure and defend equal rights and opportunities for women.” (“feminism” 1). One of the first generations of women’s rights advocates were heavily influenced by Mary Wollstonecraft’s work, A Vindication of the Rights of Women published in 1792. In her treatise she wrote, “Would men but generously snap our chains, and be content with rational fellowship instead of slavish obedience,

Throughout the last century, women have had to fight to have the same opportunities as men. Women have had to earn the right to vote, the right to have a career, and the right to autonomy. However, these are all rights that men have simply been given, which is why today’s feminists work to promote equality. Despite these efforts, feminism is often misunderstood and is interpreted with a negative connotation. According to a study conducted by Precopio and Ramsey (2017), “feminism is commonly recognized as a movement driven to grant social, political, and economic equality to both women and men.” The participation of others besides women is crucial to the spread of equality among the genders. Furthermore, the stigma and negative feelings surrounding feminism must be reduced in order for the ideals of feminism to have a greater impact.