Mary Wollstonecraft

Biography

● Born April 27th, 1759, London England.● Mother: Elizabeth Dickson

Wollstonecraft● Father: John Edward

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Family

Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the seven children born in her family.

Siblings:

● Edward Wollstonecraft● Henry Woodstock Wollstonecraft● Everina Wollstonecraft● James Wollstonecraft● Charles Wollstonecraft

● Elizabeth Wollstonecraft

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Family Tree

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Her Childhood

● Was born Spitalfields London● Father squandered their money, and beat his wife in drunken rage● Was a motherly figure to her younger sisters and even to her own mother

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Childhood Friendships

● Jane Arden

-Listened to lectures at schools-Father was a philosopher● Fanny Blood

-wanted to be independent together-Started a school together-Inspiration for a novel

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Loves and Losses● Mary left home and decided to

enroll in a life of literature.● Created several pieces of

literature:● “Thoughts on Education of

Daughters”● She also created a revolutionary

piece of work called:● “A Vindication of the Rights of

Women”

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Loves and Losses

● Romances with the married painter Fuseli

● She fled to France after he did not reciprocate her love

● When she was 35 she married Gilbert Imlay

● In the same year they gave birth to Franny Imlay

● A year later Gilbert deserted her

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● Failing to cope with her heartbreak, she attempted suicide twice and failed both times

● She got married again 2 years later to William Godwin

● 5 months later they had a little girl named Mary

● A month later she died due to complications to childbirth

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Ideas on Marriage

Wollstonecraft believed in:● Social contract between man and

woman.● Educating women will strengthen

marriages.● A woman must have an equal

amount of knowledge as her partner.● Both man and woman require an

equal amount of sexual pleasure to maintain a stable marriage.

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Concept of Equality:

Definition: The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.

● In your own opinion, what does the ideal “equal” society look like?

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Women’s Education in Late 1700s

- Most women in the late 1700s were denied their education- Mary felt women were denied their potential*read quote 1*

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Women’s Voting Rights

Excerpt from secondary doc *read quote 2*- women were disallowed to vote- not really any challenge on the topic

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Wollstonecraft - Women’s Rights

- Wollstonecraft believe men had no right or reason:- ultimately destroy their potential- to oppress women - deny their educationSR

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Concepts: Feminism

Definition: The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

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Wollstonecraft and Feminism ● Wollstonecraft was seen as one of the founders of feminism ● Wrote “Thoughts on the

Education of Daughters” in 1787● Believed men and women were intellectually and morally equal to men

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● Wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” in 1791● Believed women should get the same educational opportunities as men● Wanted women to be represented by who they are, not marriage

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Feminism then

● Because of the increasing of power in the middle class and expansion of consumerism, the role of a woman grew ● In france, Olympe de Gouges fought for the rights of women during the french revolution

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● Due to the increase of literacy in lower class, writing became popular in sharing views (popularizing feminism)

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Feminism today and Wollstonecraft

● Inspired many with the idea of equality● Disputed the idea that women should not receive same education as men ● Urged idea that women should be able to pursue professional employment ● Insisted that women should vote

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Concept - Reason

➔ the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgements using logic

● harmony between feeling and thought

● Rousseau believe women incapable of reason

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Concept - State of Nature

➔ moral / political philosophy used in religious and social contract theories to denote the hypothetical conditions of what the lives of people may have been like before societies came into existence

● used by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau

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Questions: Feminism

Do you think Wollstonecraft's ideas on feminism have been fulfilled in todays society? If so why?

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Do you think feminism would the same today without the contributions of Wollstonecraft? why?

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“As a proof that education gives this appearance of weakness to females, we may instance the example of military men, who are, like them, sent into the world before their minds have been stored with knowledge, or fortified by principles.” “Where is the sexual difference, when the education has been the same? All the differences that I can discern arises from the superior advantage of liberty which enables the former to see more of life.”What do you think this means in a feminist view?

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In what ways do you think feminism has changed from the 18th century? And why do you think it has changed?

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As we have learned, Mary’s early life wasn’t exactly a fairy tale, how do you think it affected her views in the future?

Do you think Mary Wollstonecraft would think about the feminism in todays society?

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Questions

1. Wollstonecraft states “Society, therefore, as it becomes more enlightened, should be very careful not

to establish bodies of men who must necessarily be made foolish or vicious by the very constitution of their profession” (pg 3).

As we become more enlightened do we lose ourselves?

1. Does the idea of the ‘state of nature’ go against God?

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3. Does modern day society reflect on Mary Wollstonecraft’s concepts of feminism, reason, or state of nature?

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Bibliography

● Johnson Lewis, Jones. "What Rights Did Mary Wollstonecraft Advocate for Women?" Mary Wollstonecraft - What Rights? Accessed November 14, 2014. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft-rights.htm.

● Shmoop Editorial Team. "Mary Wollstonecraft Timeline of Important Dates." Shmoop.com. November 11, 2008. Accessed November 16, 2014. http://www.shmoop.com/mary-wollstonecraft/timeline.html.

● "What Rights Did Mary Wollstonecraft Advocate for Women?" About. Accessed November 16, 2014. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft-rights.htm.

● https://lfb.org/mary-wollstonecraft-founder-of-classical-liberal-feminism/

● http://www.enotes.com/topics/feminism/critical-essays/women-16th-17th-18th-centuries