Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759, London as the second of six children. Her father often interrupted the relationships between Mary’s family members, by beating Mary’s mother. At the age of nineteen, due to the frequent argument within the family, Mary went out to live by herself. With her sister, she established a school at Newington Green and soon became a translator and literacy adviser to Joseph Johnson, the publisher of radical texts. She then met Fanny Blood, who helped Wollstonecraft open up her mind more. They had plans to work on building a female 'utopia', where women had equal rights, and were treated fairly. During her career, Mary contributed to articles and reviews. In 1790, Mary produced “the Vindication of the Rights of the Man”. Later in 1792, “the Vindication on the Rights of Woman”, one of the important works which denounces sexism, was published. The Vindication on the Rights of Woman was written in response to Rousseau's 'Emile', where Rousseau said that girls should be educated differently. They should be taught to be submissive. Mary Wollstonecraft was not just a great advocate of women's rights, but also an advocate for the right of all men. She pursued her dream all her life. Her books helped influence equality amongst the two sexes, and brought the women more rights and freedom.
Mary Wollstonecraft
On people:
Mary Wollstonecraft lived in a period which women were treated unequal to their male counterparts. She wanted women to be educated, and argues that she believes that that will strengthen a marriage. If a married woman wishes to be considered an ‘equal’ of her husband, then she must have the same knowledge and sense. In 1791, Wollstonecraft wrote the book ' A Vindication of the Rights of Woman', in which she explained her views on their present day society. "
After considering the historic page, and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and I have sighed when obliged to confess that either Nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty; and the flaunting leaves, after having pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity. One cause of this barren blooming I attribute to a false system of education, gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers. (Mary Wollstonecraft, Introduction, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman)
Wollstonecraft believed that all people were born equal, and that God would not make one individual superior to another. She believed that all men, women, and children have a right to believe and have an independent mind.
Her View on Religion
"I see not the shadow of a reason to conclude that their [the sexes'] virtues should differ in respect to their nature. In fact, how can they, if virtue has only one eternal standard? I must therefore, if I reason consequentially, as strenuously maintain that they must have the same simple direction as that there is a God" (Rights of Woman, 26).
Mary Wollstonecraft believed in her own created religion, Wollstonecraft upheld a religion that combined faith with reason, morality with knowledge. This put no end on human questionings. She thought that God was good and perfect. She sees humans as a race that is constantly trying to improve itself to be more similar to God. In the book Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin wrote that "Her religion was, in reality, little allied to any system of forms... and her religion was almost entirely of her own creation" (quoted in Ferguson, 121). Wollstonecraft created two arguments for equality. 1, the oppressed and/or uneducated people should be supported by the society in order to improve. 2, that society cannot be perfect unless all of its members are perfect, and is not threatened by those uneducated people that can cause damage.
Her Critique on Today’s World
Because she was one of the people who always fought passionately for women rights she must have been happy with the treatment of women today. However, she would not have liked the racism that still exists in some countries. Some racist people believe that there are different races of human,the white race and the colored race. The opinion of these racist people is; White people are the superordinate race over all races of human and are smarter than colored people. Since one of her goals for the government in the future was that all people, men as well as women, should be treated fairly and equally, Mary would have disliked racism.
Her Opinion on the Ideal Society
Mary Wollstonecraft thought that the best society would and should allow females to vote, help develop the society. There should be no sexism, racism, or too much power, because this would be unfair for people who lived there. Although thought commonly as a feminist, Mary cared for the freedom of all of mankind, and did not want society to dominate and control people. She believed that a fair society would allow women to be educated and allowed to work with men as co-workers. Wollstonecraft also believed that all people should be given equal citizenship privileges. Wollstonecraft thought, to undo all the unjust of society, there must be an education reformation, where both boys and girls should learn together.
Her Opinion about the Perfect Government
The perfect society in Mary Wollstonecraft’s eyes was democracy, where women and men had equal rights and were equally treated. She wanted the people to have the chance to decide the laws through national decisions. Women, in Mary’s eyes, should have had the right to vote as well. She wished for a fair government, unlike that of a monarchy or dictatorship, and decided on democracy.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Background
Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759, London as the second of six children. Her father often interrupted the relationships between Mary’s family members, by beating Mary’s mother. At the age of nineteen, due to the frequent argument within the family, Mary went out to live by herself. With her sister, she established a school at Newington Green and soon became a translator and literacy adviser to Joseph Johnson, the publisher of radical texts. She then met Fanny Blood, who helped Wollstonecraft open up her mind more. They had plans to work on building a female 'utopia', where women had equal rights, and were treated fairly. During her career, Mary contributed to articles and reviews. In 1790, Mary produced “the Vindication of the Rights of the Man”. Later in 1792, “the Vindication on the Rights of Woman”, one of the important works which denounces sexism, was published. The Vindication on the Rights of Woman was written in response to Rousseau's 'Emile', where Rousseau said that girls should be educated differently. They should be taught to be submissive. Mary Wollstonecraft was not just a great advocate of women's rights, but also an advocate for the right of all men. She pursued her dream all her life. Her books helped influence equality amongst the two sexes, and brought the women more rights and freedom.
Mary Wollstonecraft
On people:
Mary Wollstonecraft lived in a period which women were treated unequal to their male counterparts. She wanted women to be educated, and argues that she believes that that will strengthen a marriage. If a married woman wishes to be considered an ‘equal’ of her husband, then she must have the same knowledge and sense. In 1791, Wollstonecraft wrote the book ' A Vindication of the Rights of Woman', in which she explained her views on their present day society. "
After considering the historic page, and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and I have sighed when obliged to confess that either Nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty; and the flaunting leaves, after having pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity. One cause of this barren blooming I attribute to a false system of education, gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers. (Mary Wollstonecraft, Introduction, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman)
Wollstonecraft believed that all people were born equal, and that God would not make one individual superior to another. She believed that all men, women, and children have a right to believe and have an independent mind.Her View on Religion
"I see not the shadow of a reason to conclude that their [the sexes'] virtues should differ in respect to their nature. In fact, how can they, if virtue has only one eternal standard? I must therefore, if I reason consequentially, as strenuously maintain that they must have the same simple direction as that there is a God" (Rights of Woman, 26).
Mary Wollstonecraft believed in her own created religion, Wollstonecraft upheld a religion that combined faith with reason, morality with knowledge. This put no end on human questionings. She thought that God was good and perfect. She sees humans as a race that is constantly trying to improve itself to be more similar to God. In the book Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin wrote that "Her religion was, in reality, little allied to any system of forms... and her religion was almost entirely of her own creation" (quoted in Ferguson, 121). Wollstonecraft created two arguments for equality. 1, the oppressed and/or uneducated people should be supported by the society in order to improve. 2, that society cannot be perfect unless all of its members are perfect, and is not threatened by those uneducated people that can cause damage.
Her Critique on Today’s World
Because she was one of the people who always fought passionately for women rights she must have been happy with the treatment of women today. However, she would not have liked the racism that still exists in some countries. Some racist people believe that there are different races of human,the white race and the colored race. The opinion of these racist people is; White people are the superordinate race over all races of human and are smarter than colored people. Since one of her goals for the government in the future was that all people, men as well as women, should be treated fairly and equally, Mary would have disliked racism.
Her Opinion on the Ideal Society
Mary Wollstonecraft thought that the best society would and should allow females to vote, help develop the society. There should be no sexism, racism, or too much power, because this would be unfair for people who lived there. Although thought commonly as a feminist, Mary cared for the freedom of all of mankind, and did not want society to dominate and control people. She believed that a fair society would allow women to be educated and allowed to work with men as co-workers. Wollstonecraft also believed that all people should be given equal citizenship privileges. Wollstonecraft thought, to undo all the unjust of society, there must be an education reformation, where both boys and girls should learn together.
Her Opinion about the Perfect Government
The perfect society in Mary Wollstonecraft’s eyes was democracy, where women and men had equal rights and were equally treated. She wanted the people to have the chance to decide the laws through national decisions. Women, in Mary’s eyes, should have had the right to vote as well. She wished for a fair government, unlike that of a monarchy or dictatorship, and decided on democracy.
Sources Cited
- Kreis, Steven. "Mary Wollstonecraft, 1759-1797." The History Guide -- Main. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/wollstonecraft.html>.
- Todd, Professor Janet. "BBC - History - British History in Depth: Mary Wollstonecraft: A 'Speculative and Dissenting Spirit'" BBC - Homepage. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/wollstonecraft_01.shtml>.
- "Mary Wollstonecraft on Education." Contents @ the Informal Education Homepage. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.infed.org/thinkers/wollstonecraft.htm>.
- "Wollstonecraft." Philosophy Pages. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/woll.htm>.
- "Mary Wollstonecraft - Rights in the Air - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman - Women's Rights." Women's History - Comprehensive Women's History Research Guide. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft_context.htm>.