Mary Wollstonecraft: the West’s first feminist and apostle of the Enlightenment
By: Ronja Sen
Tags: Critical Thinking, Politics, Feminism, Philosophy, Political Philosophy

A Piece on Political Philosophy

Mary Wollstonecraft: image obtained from Pinterest

Prior to the 1700s and Wollstonecraft’s time, there were no major works in the West that were impactful on the rights of women, nor highlighted the tragic treatment and attitudes towards women. Although there were feminist works previously — the likes of Aphrah Behn, Mary Estelle, Catherine MacAulay and various anonymous writers — none were fortunate enough with timing as Mary Wollstonecraft, whose works were published during the Enlightenment era. This timing meant that Wollstonecraft was contributing to an era that embraced new and progressive thought, and as such, her work had a stronger voice for change. Wollstonecraft’s work gave light to both the unjust status quo in treatment and attitudes towards women, as well as a solution to bring the rights of men and women to an equilibrium. Accordingly, this makes her both an ‘apostle of the Enlightenment’ as well as the first true feminists in the Western world. This piece will explore how Wollstonecraft was a pioneer of the feminist movement through the acknowledgement of emotion and need for education, and also how Wollstonecraft’s work is a major part of the Enlightenment era through her use of reason and rational analysis for women’s education and social rights. It will therefore be argued that Wollstonecraft’s work fits into both the category of the first true feminist of the Western world, as well as being an apostle of the Enlightenment.

Before delving into the details of Wollstonecraft’s work, it is important to identify what exactly feminism and the Enlightenment respectively entail.

1.0 The Enlightenment Era

The Enlightenment was an era that progressed Western society from the blind belief in the Church and natural law, and towards reason and rationale. The emphasis on natural law in Western society was exemplified through the works of philosophers leading up to the 1700s and French Revolution. These ideas were also integrated into the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, through the inalienable and sacred rights of man (what are now ‘human rights’). As years progressed, so did society. Philosophy saw the entrance of Edmund Burke and Jeremy Bentham with the commencement of the Enlightenment era, who argued against natural law, famously naming it “nonsense on stilts”. With the rejection of natural law came the introduction of human reason and moral compass.

The Enlightenment era had a major focus on reason and morality in humanity, and this embodied the theory that a strong relation existed between “human soul and moral truth” (Bartlett, 2001, 2). For philosophers, the Enlightenment aimed to eradicate the ignorance of every “cave” as Plato wrote about, or political communities (Bartlett, 2001, 1). The Enlightenment would use the knowledge and insight of political philosophy to rid the world of superstition and prejudice. The era introduced a belief that a union could be forged between “politics and reason or philosophy” (Locke, 1983, 26).

Being an apostle of the Enlightenment would mean for Wollstonecraft to be a pioneer of its ideologies, aligned with its message and teachings. It means that Wollstonecraft must demonstrate rationale, reason and morality in her own message; and that her philosophy aligns with the Enlightenment in ridding society of superstition and prejudice.

2.0 Wollstonecraft as an Apostle of the Enlightenment

Mary Wollstonecraft was raised in a social context in which women were victim to subhuman treatment and were subject to unfair social pressures, complicated rules that were, according to Wollstonecraft herself, a “weak substitute for simple principles” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33). In Wollstonecraft’s context, women are “enervated by confinement and false notions of modesty” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33).

Wollstonecraft consistently and repeatedly demonstrates her rational nature to be no less capable of the intellectual capabilities of men through her works. Her Original Stories piece told the tale of a woman who teaches love, truth, virtue and respect for god’s creations through tenderness and discernment, highlighting the reason and virtue available to the female race. In Mary, a Fiction, Wollstonecraft philosophises on the method of doing selflessly good things in an effort to overcome the evils of an environment. She rationalises equality through the benefits that are gained for both men and women in establishing it. Her piece Female Reader commences the Wollstonecraft plight for education, indicating that females should acquire resources to be as psychologically independent as possible. Finally, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft draws the picture of the unashamed French regime that is ruled by superstition and both morally and politically incorrect. Throughout her work, Wollstonecraft has demonstrated rationale, reason and morality, whilst gradually ridding superstitions and prejudices against women from various perspectives.

In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in particular, Wollstonecraft utilises a sense of reason like no other. With an emphasis on access to reason and an overarching fight for education, the piece dictates that Wollstonecraft is indeed an apostle of Enlightenment. Wollstonecraft demonstrates rationale in demonstrating that women have the same access to reason as man. She uses the example of women in comparison to military men, who are similarly “sent into the world before their minds have been stored with knowledge or fortified by principles” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33). She highlights with this example, that men who join the military are originally as intellectually capable as ordinary men — yet as they enter the military world, they acquire superficial knowledge that is often uncertain, and also must mingle with members of society according to customs. She explains how this “acquaintance with manners and customs” is confused with “knowledge of the human heart” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33) for both soldiers and ordinary (non-soldier) women. Yet, those same soldiers are given acknowledgement for acquiring that same knowledge as women — both practise the “minor virtues” that they have acquired with equal politeness. Wollstonecraft attributes this difference in acknowledgement to the “superior advantage of liberty” which comes through education, and enables even the military man to “see more of life” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33). This example aptly highlights both the disparity in education between women and even the most intellectually sheltered of men, whilst also evidencing the equal access to reason that both have in curiosity and understanding etiquette. In communicating these ideals, Wollstonecraft is boldly fighting against those of the time who acted with prejudice and superstition against women.

Throughout her 1792 piece, Wollstonecraft continues to champion the effort for women to “acquire the qualities that ennoble a rational being” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 44). While Wollstonecraft does maintain her divine beliefs in God, she demonstrates Enlightenment values through acknowledging the fact that she is using her own reason to even write the piece. In thanking God for giving her reason, Wollstonecraft writes that she has “sufficient strength of mind to dare to exert my own reason” and using this she is able to “view, with indignation, the mistaken notions that enslave my sex” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 49). She continues to highlight the “dignity of a rationale” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 48) and that education must come in the form to allow women to use their capability in “acting like rational creatures” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 48). She says in order to provide education with that effect, “let them not be treated like slaves… dependent on the reason of man… but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime curb of principle… Teach them, in common with man, to submit to necessity, instead of giving… a sex to morals” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 48).

3.0 Feminism

The feminist movement is based on the belief that women are oppressed or disadvantaged in comparison to men, and unjustifiably so. The feminist goal is to eradicate gender inequalities, and also promote women’s rights and issues. In doing so, feminism highlights and improves the socio-political and economic circumstances that women face. Feminism has developed various categories within the movement, known as “waves”. The first wave concerns civil rights like voting and owning property, while the second focuses on the patriarchal causes of inequality.

To be a true Feminist, Wollstonecraft must aim to eliminate gender inequality and highlight the tragic socio-political and economic circumstances that women faced in her time. This essay argues that Wollstonecraft would also have to fit into both the first and second wave (as the third and fourth developed after her time). It is gathered that in completing these criteria, Wollstonecraft would indeed be the first to do so.

4.0 Wollstonecraft as the First True Feminist of the Western World

Wollstonecraft is the first true feminist of the Western world because she highlights the sub-par socio-political and economic circumstances that women faced in her social context. A major argument is the fallacy in gender roles assigned to women by men, and how this leads to those circumstances. In highlighting these, she argues why it is fallacious in the plight to eradicate the inequality between the two sexes. As she does so, Wollstonecraft fits into both the first and second waves of feminism.

Wollstonecraft discusses gender roles of women in unhappy marriages who fantasise about “a husband who could love them with a fervid increasing affection everyday” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 44) but must settle with an unhappy relationship as a slave. She discusses the role of the woman to act with gentleness in “manners, forbearance and long-suffering” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 44) in that women are required to want protection and “must silently endure injuries; smiling under the lash at which it dare not snarl” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 44). She then states that although this sounds gruesome, it is the “portrait of an accomplished woman” according to society, who stipulates “gentleness, docility and a spaniel-like affection” for the female sex as a whole and to be the “toy of man” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 44).

How Wollstonecraft fits the first wave of feminism is covered by the section above which discusses her ideals of Enlightenment, in that she successfully outlines the civil rights predicaments of women especially with regard to education.

Prior to Wollstonecraft, all political philosophers proudly asserted the natural law innate to humanity. They boasted morals, ethics and virtue: unique qualities of humanity that separate the race to any other being and connect it to the divine forces. Wollstonecraft fantastically highlights that despite the boasting, “one half” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 6) of the human race is denied of acknowledgement in these qualities, demonstrated by the subordinate economic, political and social rights that it is victim to, imposed upon them by man. She gives light to how women are not considered as moral beings in society according to Wollstonecraft, and as such are instead considered “so weak that they must be entirely subjected to the superior faculties of men” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 33). Through this thought, Wollstonecraft demonstrates characteristics of radical feminism of the second wave, arguing that the patriarchy is the source of women’s oppression. While political laws are fair and reasonable, it is men that act without virtue, moral and therefore accountability to women. Wollstonecraft’s push against men in this light is demonstrated by her ideal that morality has an eternal foundation, and “whoever sacrifices virtue… to present convenience, or whose duty it is to act in such a manner… can not be an accountable creature” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 48). She highlights that if accountability is not given importance, it undermines the belief in God itself– if accountability is compromised by beings of God, then “on what foundation rests the throne of God?” (Wollstonecraft, 1792, 49).

5.0 Conclusion

Overall, Wollstonecraft is not just an apostle of the Enlightenment or the first true feminist of the Western world, but both. This essay defined what each of these labels entail and continued to demonstrate how Mary Wollstonecraft fit into both categories. Through her unforgiving efforts in ridding society of the superstitions and prejudices that it has against women, Wollstonecraft used reason, rationale and virtue in clearly explaining the disparities between men and women. Her solution of quality education for both men and women is based on reason, thinking clearly of the benefits this would bring. Through relentless highlight of gender role fallacies in her social context, Wollstonecraft aptly demonstrated the unimportance of the unfounded gender roles in her society. She once again used education to adequately meet the definition of first wave feminism. She boldly called out men’s contradictory behaviour and showed how some of the gender disparities stem from the patriarchy rather than laws itself, giving her a radical second wave feminist viewpoint. By and large, this essay has effectively demonstrated how Mary Wollstonecraft was both an apostle of the Enlightenment, as well as the West’s first true feminist.

Reference List

Bartlett, R. (2001). On the Politics of Faith and Reason: The Project of Enlightenment in Pierre Bayle and Montesquieu. The Journal of Politics, 63(1), 1–28. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/2691891

Botting, E. (2016). A PHILOSOPHICAL GENEALOGY OF WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS. In Wollstonecraft, Mill, and Women’s Human Rights (pp. 26–69). NEW HAVEN; LONDON: Yale University Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/j.ctt1kft8kh.5

Locke, J. (1983). A Letter Concerning Toleration. Ed. James H. Tully. Indianapolis: Hackett.

Wollstonecraft, M. 2004 [1792]. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Dedication, Chapters 1–3. Edited by Miriam Brody. London: Penguin Books, 19–67.