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Mary Wollstonecraft On Women's Rights

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The issue regarding women’s rights is not a new one. In the past, there were distinctive differences between men and women, between their roles in society and their models of behavior. Many years ago, women's contribution to society was limited and controlled by men. Throughout the early years women were wives who were intended to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. They were not allowed to vote while the men took care of having jobs and paying any bills that had to be paid. Heidi Moeller a contributing writer said, “Truly understanding a person takes at least a year, Women will never understand the male mind, just like men will never understand the female mind.” Meaning that it will take a lot of time for men and women to be on the same …show more content…

Furthermore, since men and ladies are conceived with a similar capacity to reason, ladies ought to appreciate the same amount of training, power, and impact in the public arena as men do. The only reason women don't seem as smart as men, she says, is because they aren't given the same education. Wollstonecraft pursues a few authors who have asserted that women education should concentrate exclusively on making young ladies satisfying to men. Stating that young ladies shouldn't occupied themselves with a lot of reading or studying. They should concentrate on dressing pleasantly and being pretty. This was evident as soon as she said,” Youth is the season for love in both sexes; but in those days of thoughtless enjoyment provision should be made for the more important years of life, when reflection takes place of sensation. But Rousseau, and most of the male writers who have followed his steps, have warmly inculcated that the whole tendency of female education ought to be directed to one point: —to render them pleasing.” Meaning that women only purpose in life is to look good and please their spouse. Wollstonecraft expresses that ladies are less physically solid than men, however that quality isn't generally all that impressive in a modern society. In conclusion, In the political argument “A Vindication of the Women Rights”, by Mary Wollstonecraft, what matters to her is the quality of a person's mind, not about the gender role in society and there is no difference between the quality of men and women's

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Wollstonecraft strongly believed,“...both sexes must act from the same principle…” (Doc D) Wollstonecraft strongly wanted both sexes to follow the same criteria and be given the same educational rights, so that women could be wiser and more virtuous. Wollstonecraft and Locke both believed that all should be equal and this supports that women are one of the groups besides religion that were not given as many rights as others. She also thought,“... women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge...to full fill their peculiar duties...to free them from all restraint…”

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In her document she claims that, “Women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge, which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits as men”(Wollstonecraft, On National Education). Wollstonecraft dynamically argued that if women had the right to study, they’d be able to prove they aren’t inferior by ignorance and low desires. Despite the fact that these four philosophers had contrasting ideas on how to enhance daily life, they all concentrated the same central idea. They each contributed something unique to their society, which has influenced our daily

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In my opinion, one of the most necessary requirements would be equality for women, no matter the color, religion, etc. In 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft, a writer, philosopher, and women’s rights activist, discussed advice given by a preacher in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She tells us that this preacher believes that women should be kept on a tight leash and kept close, along with many other dense comments. Mary becomes infuriated by this, and then writes one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. She discusses women deserving an education, and that we should not be treated as ornaments.

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We have entered the nineteenth century, we do not need to be a disciple of Mrs Wollstonecraft to feel that women should not be denied a voice in matters that concern them. It is some centuries since we accepted that a woman has a soul. Is it not time that we accepted that she also has a mind? * p. 142.

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For as long as before the American Revolution, an apparent inequality already existed between men and women. These gender roles resulted in men being the dominant people in families while women were usually confined in their homes, doing a limited amount of societal, economical, and political influence in America and themselves. Therefore, many women, particularly in the late 1800s to 1900s, began to realize their potential in society and the deterioration their imprisonment caused, demonstrating signs of resistance through two waves of feminist movements. They first targeted the voting rights of women, which occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The following is directed to achieving equal rights for women, which was inspired by the

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“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue” (Buddha). In “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” by Mary Wollstonecraft, the path to virtue is through true education and reason. The effects of virtue are illustrated through an enlightened mind, being morally upright, and being able to live a pleasant life. One achieves virtue when one truly understands what his or her education is for, to not only to be able to learn from today’s society, but also from mistakes made in mankind’s past and try to better it.

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Wollstonecraft believed that her vision towards equality for women, by removing the power that men had in society, would truly end the segregation as men would not have dominance over women (Teachers Curriculum Institute, n.d.). She strongly believed that power had an influence towards the rights of women and she stated in her book ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)’ “Let not men then in the pride of power, use the same arguments that tyrannic kings and venal ministers have used, and fallaciously assert that women ought to be subjected because she has always been so… It is time to affect a revolution in female manners-time to restore to them their lost dignity… It is time to separate unchangeable, morals from local manners,” (Anonymous,

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In the book of vindication of the right of a woman, Wollstonecraft brings out clearly the roles of a woman in her society and how it has led to oppression of women (Wollstonecraft 22). Wollstonecraft believes that men and women are equal given the same environment and empowerment, women can do anything a man can do. In her society, education for women is only aimed at making her look pleasing to men. Women are treated as inferior being and used by men as sex objects. Wollstonecraft believed that the quality of mind of women is the same with that of men, and therefore women should not be denied a chance for formal education that will empower them to be equal with men.

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Women did not have the same rights as men. Mary Wollstonecraft was an extremely educated woman; in her mind all of women’s worst qualities came from their lack of knowledge, and

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Rousseau states that women should be "passive and weak", "put up little resistance" and are "made specially to please man". Wollstonecraft wonders how someone as Rousseau “lowers his sentiments when describing women and interprets his words as the rationalization that women are in fact, considered either moral beings, or extremely weak that they must be entirely subject to “the supreme faculties of men. Therefore, there is a contradiction in Rousseau’s words, why women should not receive education, if they are equal to

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Throughout this text, Wollstonecraft discusses how close-minded society was about women and equality. She describes society as being under the impression that women and men were two different animals. Society also believed that men were free and logical thinkers that could rule and change society while women were seen as pretty objects that could bear children. Wollstonecraft’s feminist view discusses that the problem was not only men inhibiting women, but women themselves were also not pushing against the ideology that men were superior. She continues to explain her new feminist ideology that discusses changes in society that would create equality.

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Women’s place and role in the society is something that has been discussed and changed over time. Should their rights be the same as men’s? Should they be superior? Inferior? The world faces a dilemma on weather they should be or not equal as men.

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Although Wollstonecraft agrees with Rousseau that women are biologically not as strong as men, she does not believe that physical strength is a reason for women to be seen as subsidiary to men. According to Wollstonecraft, the systems of education in place perpetuate socialization among the sexes which results in a society in which women are not using their reason while men lack reason. This knowledge brings the importance of education to the forefront as the current educational system is perpetuating inequalities among women by educated youth to conform to the stereotypical gender norms that are brought on by socialization. To combat the negative aspects brought on through the educational system which perpetuates inequalities brought on by socialization, Wollstonecraft calls for an educational system that focuses on understanding rather than one that nurtures sensibility at the cost of understanding (Wollstonecraft, 82). She believes that the current educational system contributes to some women’s dependence on men as due to the amount of time that women have been dependent, “is it surprising that some

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Wollstonecraft emphasized the value of education for women, but she called for something more than opportunities to learn needle work and social graces. She stressed that a woman’s education should shape body, mind, and emotions, eventually leading to a sense of independence. Although Wollstonecraft’s thinking was a head of her time, it reflected philosophies of the Enlightenment, which championed the power of education, social reform, and moral worth and development as the right of individuals including women. Education was necessary for women, and through moral education women would acquire virtue, knowledge and honesty. For Wollstonecraft, lack of education was the cause of all feminine misery, and since women were denied the opportunity to expand their mental activities in many cases, they could never attain virtue.

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