A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
A case for education, moral independence and women’s dignity.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Political philosophy · women’s education and rights
The person behind the ideas
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was a writer who made education central to her argument for women’s dignity and independence. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman challenged conventions that treated pleasing others as the main purpose of a woman’s life.
Biography sources
Biography reference →At a glance
- Born
- 1759
- Died
- 1797
- Era
- Eighteenth century
- Notable works
- A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
- Tradition
- Political philosophy · women’s education and rights
Ideas and outlook
Wollstonecraft argued that women should develop judgment and independence through education. She challenged social expectations that rewarded pleasing others over becoming a responsible, reasoning person.
About the works
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Other quotes across journeys
Across Western Thought
I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman · 1792
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A Vindication of the Rights of Woman · 1792
Wollstonecraft responds to Rousseau while defending women’s rational education and independence. “Them” means women.
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