Mary Wollstonecraft
English writer and philosopher (1759–1797) who argued for women's education and rights.
At a glance
Main ideas
Inequality comes from education, Both sexes are rational beings, Rights rest on reason, not tradition …
See all 4Books to start with
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, A Vindication of the Rights of Men, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman …
See all 5Connections
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Reflections on the Revolution in France
See all 2
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Wollstonecraft was an English writer and philosopher best known for advocating women's rights.
- In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) she argued that women only seem inferior to men because they lack education.
- She wrote novels, treatises, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution and a children's book.
- She married the philosopher William Godwin and died 11 days after giving birth to the future Mary Shelley.
Why it matters
- She is regarded as one of the founding feminist philosophers; for a century after her death her unconventional life drew more attention than her writing.
Key facts
- Born
- 27 Apr 1759, Spitalfields, London1
- Died
- 10 Sep 1797, aged 38, 11 days after the birth of her daughter Mary1
- Writing career
- Left a post as governess in Ireland to live by writing in London, helped by the publisher Joseph Johnson; reviewed for his Analytical Review1
- Revolution Controversy
- Her Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790), answering Edmund Burke, was the first response in the pamphlet war over the French Revolution1
- Family
- Married William Godwin; daughters Fanny Imlay (with Gilbert Imlay) and Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein1
- Reputation
- Godwin's 1798 Memoir of her life damaged her reputation for almost a century1
Main ideas
-
Inequality comes from education1
Women are not naturally inferior to men; they appear so only because they lack education.
-
Both sexes are rational beings1
Men and women should be treated as rational beings, in a social order founded on reason.
-
Rights rest on reason, not tradition2
Against Burke, rights should be granted because they are reasonable and just, not because they are customary.
-
Republican virtue1
In the Rights of Men she attacks aristocracy and hereditary privilege and argues for republicanism.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
-
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters1
Her conduct book.
-
A Vindication of the Rights of Men1
Her reply to Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France.
-
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman1
Her most famous and influential work.
-
Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark1
A personal travel narrative in 25 letters.
-
Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman1
An unfinished novel, published after her death.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us
The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.