(b. 1759, London, England; d. 1797, London, England) Mary Wollstonecraft was a renowned
women’s rights activist
who authored A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792, a classic of rationalist feminism that is considered the earliest and most important treatise advocating equality for women.
Is Wollstonecraft a liberal feminist?
Although usually interpreted as a classical liberal or republican thinker, Wollstonecraft is better understood as
a feminist care theorist
. She aimed at a revolutionary transformation of liberal society by emphasizing the importance of care-giving duties.
How did Mary Wollstonecraft influence feminism?
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the trailblazing works of feminism. Published in 1792, Wollstonecraft’s work
argued that the educational system of her time deliberately trained women to be frivolous and incapable.
What does Mary Wollstonecraft say about women’s education?
Wollstonecraft believed
that education should be built on strengthening a women’s intellectual faculties
, particularly by emphasizing the skills of logical reasoning and abstract thinking through the mastery of such subjects as mathematics, science, history, literature, and language.
Why is Mary Wollstonecraft called the first feminist?
Wollstonecraft
outlined a vision of equality between the sexes
. If women were afforded the same opportunities and education, she wrote, they could contribute as much to society as men. The book made Wollstonecraft’s name.
How old was Mary Wollstonecraft when she died?
The novel was unfinished, for death came tragically to Mary. She gave birth to a second daughter, named for herself, who would grow up to be Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. The birth was followed by complications, and Mary Wollstonecraft died ten days later. She was
38
.
What does feminism stand for?
At its core, feminism is the
belief in full social, economic, and political equality for women
. Feminism largely arose in response to Western traditions that restricted the rights of women, but feminist thought has global manifestations and variations.
What does liberal feminism focus on?
Liberal feminism, also called mainstream feminism, is a main branch of feminism defined by its focus on
achieving gender equality through political and legal reform within the framework of liberal democracy
.
Socialist feminism rose in the 1960s and 1970s as
an offshoot of the feminist movement and New Left that focuses upon the interconnectivity of the patriarchy and capitalism
. … Socialist feminists argue that liberation can only be achieved by working to end both the economic and cultural sources of women’s oppression.
What is Mary Wollstonecraft best known for?
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer who advocated for women’s equality. Her book ‘
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
‘ pressed for educational reforms.
What was Wollstonecraft’s purpose in writing a vindication of the rights of woman?
Wollstonecraft’s goal was not to undermine the role of women in the home—although at times throughout Vindication it seems she is doing just that—but, rather, her goal was
to encourage society to recognize women as a valuable resource
.
How many times did Mary Wollstonecraft attempt suicide?
William Godwin capitalized on this widely recognized and – to some extent – culturally ameliorative significance of suicide by casting his dead wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, as a character in a novel of sensibility when he reported her
two suicide attempts
in the Memoirs (1798).
What religion was Mary Wollstonecraft?
Recent studies of Wollstonecraft’s
republicanism
have focused attention on her political radicalism. These studies, for the most part, suggest her sources were secular, especially her conception of liberty as freedom from arbitrary power.
