Can Wollstonecraft be described as a radical thinker?
Mary Wollstonecraft is a fervent advocate for the social equality and educational rights of
women. Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792, written by her, is a book in which she
expresses her disapproval of certain aspects of society. She heavily emphasises educational
rights for women, that is to be of equal importance as it is to men. She also wrote critiques
of key ideas such as monarchy and education and the perception of women.In this essay, I
will state some of her key ideas and critiques.The following paragraphs will consist of an
analysis and identification of the pivotal ideas she has raised and whether or not they are
radical.
To begin with, Wollstonecraft begins her book by stating qualities of man which we all
possess.Wollstonecraft states that the quality that allows humankind to be differentiated
from other species in the world is our ability to reason, she says "In what does man’s pre-
eminence over the brute creation consist? The answer is as clear as that a half is less than
the whole; in Reason ". (Wollstonecraft 1792).She also mentions 'virtue', that we are able to
be morally good to one another and exhibit moral goodness.(Wollstonecraft,1792). Finally,
she mentions that we also have 'passions' so that we are able to learn through pursuing our
aims in life by going through hardships, as seen when she says "For what purpose were the
passions implanted? That man by struggling with them might attain a degree of knowledge
denied to the brutes." (Wollstonecraft, 1792)This sets the underlying theme of reason she
advocates for throughout the book. This shows Wollstonecraft as a believer in the positive
aspects of human capabilities foreshadowing her theme of equality in the book.
, Moreover, one of Wollstonecraft’s many analysis in her books, is her condemnatory scrutiny
of the monarchical system. She has mentioned her disapproval in several of her books,
significantly in Vindication of the Rights of Women. She expresses this by saying “It is
the pestiferous purple which renders the progress of civilisation a curse and warps the
understanding…”. (1792)She disagreed with the idea of the Court as a social and political
system and found it questionable whether or not the social conditions created by the King
and Court would allow reason and virtue to progress. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992) She has also
stated that people must be judged first as humans not by titles they have been given in
society especially when they were birthed into it (Virginia Sapiro, 1992). Additionally she
opposed inheritance, as she states in the Vindication of the rights of Man, "And what has
stopped its progress -hereditary property -hereditary honours”, she believed that
inheritance is one of the "social evils" impeding Europe. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992)Inheritance of
property puts people in a state of falsehood, as Wollstonecraft believed the evolution of the
mind, reason and passion requires effort and motivation of physical necessity, whilst
inheritance provides that too easily. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992) These views were not as radical
as they seemed, as Wollstonecraft shared these views with people in her Dissenting
circle. (G. J. Barker-Benfield,1989).Wollstonecraft reiterates this again, stating “the
preposterous distinctions of rank which render civilisation a curse”, showing her frustration
with society’s inequality of power according to titles and ranks.
Furthermore, Wollstonecraft mentions numerous counterarguments to claims about
women, advocating for women’s equality heavily throughout the book. In chapter 2, she
mentions that from young, women are thought to be ‘gentle’, obedient and only care about
their appearance, implicitly putting the blame on this societal norm which was common in
Mary Wollstonecraft is a fervent advocate for the social equality and educational rights of
women. Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792, written by her, is a book in which she
expresses her disapproval of certain aspects of society. She heavily emphasises educational
rights for women, that is to be of equal importance as it is to men. She also wrote critiques
of key ideas such as monarchy and education and the perception of women.In this essay, I
will state some of her key ideas and critiques.The following paragraphs will consist of an
analysis and identification of the pivotal ideas she has raised and whether or not they are
radical.
To begin with, Wollstonecraft begins her book by stating qualities of man which we all
possess.Wollstonecraft states that the quality that allows humankind to be differentiated
from other species in the world is our ability to reason, she says "In what does man’s pre-
eminence over the brute creation consist? The answer is as clear as that a half is less than
the whole; in Reason ". (Wollstonecraft 1792).She also mentions 'virtue', that we are able to
be morally good to one another and exhibit moral goodness.(Wollstonecraft,1792). Finally,
she mentions that we also have 'passions' so that we are able to learn through pursuing our
aims in life by going through hardships, as seen when she says "For what purpose were the
passions implanted? That man by struggling with them might attain a degree of knowledge
denied to the brutes." (Wollstonecraft, 1792)This sets the underlying theme of reason she
advocates for throughout the book. This shows Wollstonecraft as a believer in the positive
aspects of human capabilities foreshadowing her theme of equality in the book.
, Moreover, one of Wollstonecraft’s many analysis in her books, is her condemnatory scrutiny
of the monarchical system. She has mentioned her disapproval in several of her books,
significantly in Vindication of the Rights of Women. She expresses this by saying “It is
the pestiferous purple which renders the progress of civilisation a curse and warps the
understanding…”. (1792)She disagreed with the idea of the Court as a social and political
system and found it questionable whether or not the social conditions created by the King
and Court would allow reason and virtue to progress. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992) She has also
stated that people must be judged first as humans not by titles they have been given in
society especially when they were birthed into it (Virginia Sapiro, 1992). Additionally she
opposed inheritance, as she states in the Vindication of the rights of Man, "And what has
stopped its progress -hereditary property -hereditary honours”, she believed that
inheritance is one of the "social evils" impeding Europe. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992)Inheritance of
property puts people in a state of falsehood, as Wollstonecraft believed the evolution of the
mind, reason and passion requires effort and motivation of physical necessity, whilst
inheritance provides that too easily. (Virginia Sapiro, 1992) These views were not as radical
as they seemed, as Wollstonecraft shared these views with people in her Dissenting
circle. (G. J. Barker-Benfield,1989).Wollstonecraft reiterates this again, stating “the
preposterous distinctions of rank which render civilisation a curse”, showing her frustration
with society’s inequality of power according to titles and ranks.
Furthermore, Wollstonecraft mentions numerous counterarguments to claims about
women, advocating for women’s equality heavily throughout the book. In chapter 2, she
mentions that from young, women are thought to be ‘gentle’, obedient and only care about
their appearance, implicitly putting the blame on this societal norm which was common in
