Mary Wollstonecraft

After Wednesday's discussion of women and the Enlightenment,  I have decided to research more about women during this time and their views toward women's rights.  Mary Wollstonecraft's,  A Vindication of the Rights of Women, provides one example of the views of women.  Wollstonecraft studied moral and political theories and applied this to her writing.  She posed the question of 'why women were inferior to men?'  and argued against popular male writers of the time.  In Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women, she mentions the views of Rousseau and argues his ideals.  Wollstonecraft states, "Who ever drew a more exalted female character than Rousseau?  Though in the lump he constantly endeavoured to degrade the sex" (CP 178).  Wollstonecraft uses attacks on writers such as Rousseau in order to further her arguments.  Her views of women's rights paved the way for other politically savvy women.  In some respects, Wollstonecraft's writing compares to that of Olympe de Gouges because of their views that women should be allowed the same inalienable rights of men.  Wollstonecraft's take on women is often a radical and "in your face" interpretation that has left a lasting impact on readers throughout this period. 




Sources:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/

Women's History Coursepacket, Compiled by Dr. Wolbrink