A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Information about the Author: Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was the caretaker of her family/siblings at an early age. She was self educated; she went to London in her pursuit to write for a living, radical writer, 1790 "Vindication of the Rights of Men" written from the perspective of a man. She argued that it is irrational to distinguish between the classes of man. Wollstonecraft defends the republic.
Published 1792 - "Vindication of the Rights of Woman"
The word "Woman" used to emphasize the individual or category? This word usage is a method of describing a class of persons who have been treated the same.
Is the use of the word 'man' to represent mankind sexist?
Main Arguments: Systematic or structural sexism. Society through education trains women to not be virtuous or rational. Through structure and rewards, society trains women to be irrational. No one should be in power over anyone else; individuals should rise up as a result of their merit. Morality is compromised when power is given to one person over another. Example: The grading system on college campuses
Women are degraded because the instructions they are given are given for certain reasons. Soldiers are like women, they are disciplined in the same way. Both women and soldiers are educated in the same way. Therefore, people are as smart as they are allowed to be. Women are not naturally inferior, our social system has allowed this to happen. They are not nurtured in the same way.
Women play on the weaknesses of men in order to gain power. Certain weaknesses of women can become so attractive to men that it can lead to an increase of power on the part of the female. Definition of virtue is very different from that of the time period.
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