Mary Wollstonecraft

A historical figure I am interested in is Mary Wollstonecraft. She was one of the first feminists (even if this term did not exist at this time) and one of the founders of the feminist philosophy. I admire her for the liberty she embodies.

She fought for the cause of the women rights at a time when women were considered as minors. Indeed, in the Eighteenth, the society was a patriarchal society. Women were always under the authority either of their dad or their husband. They did not have a civil existence. In fact, the society was unequal, unfair with women: civically, socially but also culturally speaking because, in the minds, they were the representation of Eve, the woman who was responsible of the Fall in the sacerdotal story. The place of the woman is a subordinate one. She had to be submissive. Therefore, I think that all the feminists of this century were brave affirming the gender equality. They were one of the firsts women that claimed this equality and that claimed for more women rights. And, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of these women.

I found her vision of the society and of the women different than the others feminists. She is severe towards women. She is not over-indulgent towards them. She accuse their hypocrisy, their egoism and the depravity of some women. But she affirms that this depravity is just the result of their servitude. To become better, to come back to his “real nature”, women need to share with men the advantages of the education and government

Her works are very interesting and new. Her most famous book is called A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. In this pamphlet against the patriarchal society of this time, she mainly speaks about the fact that women should receive an education founded on the reason to allow them to serve the society as best as they can. This book had a great impact when she published it. She was very known in her lifetime thanks to this book.

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