Wollstonecraft's Perception of Women's Degradation in Traditional Attitudes

Running Head: ENGLISH ESSAY
English Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH ESSAY
Question- Based on the Wollstonecraft reading in the Reader (pp. 9-11), explain how
Wollstonecraft perceives women to be ‘degraded’ in her day by traditional attitudes on
how they (women) should behave.
The famous proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, a British by birth is the writer of “A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1972). In the entire history of feminist philosophy, it was
one of the earliest works. In this work, Mary Wollstonecraft fights against the conventional
theories in the political and educational grounds. The time when the work was published was
smeared with the effects of the French Revolution. According to the views of the 18th century,
women should not have higher education and any role to play in the political field. Mary raised
her voice with the outspoken words and claimed that women are essential to the nation. They
must have the rights to equally contribute to the society and politics. They must be viewed as the
‘companions’ to their husbands and not as mere ‘wives’ to take care of the household and
children.
In the 18th century it was thought that women should be educated domestically. In this
work Mary Wollstonecraft, calls for equality and balance between the sexes in every aspects of
life. One of the most principal arguments of this work is that women should be provided
education equally and rationally because it was a stern belief that women are incapable of
rational or abstract thought. Hence, they must be engaged with the child rearing and
homemaking tasks. In Texts and Traditions Reader 2018’, Wollstonecraft claims that “my main
argument is built on this simple principle, that if [woman] be not prepared by education to
become the companion of man, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth
must be common to all". She suggests that without the contribution of educated women, society
will definitely degenerate since, mothers are the primary teachers of the children. The society is