What rights did Wollstonecraft argue should be extended to women?

Posted: September 27th, 2023

What rights did Wollstonecraft argue should be extended to women?

Please note that this serves as one of the three reaction papers you are required to write this
semester. Mary Wollstonecraft argued that the Enlightenment ideas that spread throughout
Britain and the rest of the West should also apply to women. Her work was a continuation of the
arguments made by philosophes like John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. This late 18th
century work would help launch a women’s rights movement into the 19th century.
Some questions you may wish to explore include:
1. What rights did Wollstonecraft argue should be extended to women?
2. Wollstonecraft addresses other Enlightenment thinkers in her work. Which philosophers
do you believe she addresses the strongest?
3. What changes does Wollstonecraft wish to see in society, including regarding girls and
education?
4. How does Wollstonecraft address morality and virtue in her writings?
5. What does Wollstonecraft say on the question of love?
To complete this paper, you do not need to consult any sources outside of the text. It is
discouraged that you look at such works, as your reaction should be based solely on A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman.