Mary Wollstonecraft's Arguments In Liberal Feminism

Mary Wollstonecraft‘s arguments are generally placed in “liberal feminism” these thought traditions. In Wollstonecraft‘s writings, it is possible to see analyses and arguments that go beyond the ideas. The first wave of the modern feminist thought was largely affected by liberal thoughts and values. Accordingly, women and men, who are human beings, should benefit from the same rights and freedom. When women got privileges and granted to men, especially when they got education right, gender discrimination in social and political life would be eliminated. Radical feminists directed serious criticisms to these and those ideas during the later periods.
Wollstonecraft extended concepts such as reason, natural rights, contract that were used by

in a way to question traditional assumptions about the nature of men and women. For example, in the logic of social contract (T. Hobbes, J. Locke, J. J. Rousseau), political society possesses an artificial quality built by human beings. This point of view that challenges ex-political truths places reason and individual will in the foundation of the political society. However, this contract, isolating women outside, is the one made between men (Sapiro, 1992: 203). Although the point of origin is an understanding of universal reason, this universality is true for men at the social and political level. Opinions that support universal rights and freedoms did not generally touch on the private sphere of women and family. Men could acquire rational thinking and acting ability when they were educated or civilized whereas women were considered irrational by their nature. Wollstonecraft (1989a: 131) states that ―It would be an endless task

Ignorance of women worsens men and the society, too, in the general sense. From this angle, ignorant women remind of the nobles in the society. The fact that prestige is determined by the rank differences vitiates the whole society: ―From the respect paid to property flow, as from a poisoned fountain, most of the evils and vices which render this world such a dreary scene to the contemplative mind. For it is in the most polished society that noisome reptiles and venomous serpents lurk under the rank herbage… One class presses on another; for all are aiming to procure respect on account of their property: and property, once gained, will procure the respect due only to talents and virtue… There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind are chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride‖ (Wollstonecraft, 1989a: 211). Similarly, ignorance of women and their manners prevents a virtuous society from being formed. Property regime lies at the bottom of this system (Halldenius, 2007: