Notes

Mary Wollstonecraft grew up in an alcoholic/abusive family. Eventually taking over care for the family, she was a product of self-education. With the support of individuals such as Fanny and Joseph, she decided to write.

"Reflections on the Revolution in France", she wrote one of the first responses, 1789. 

It was called "Vindications on the Rights of Men", and to simply read it, one would have thought it was written by a man. 

Man, of course, here is portrayed as virtuous and rational. The question arises as to whether they, in fact, represent a number of classes, or all human beings. 

Wollstonecraft defends the public as opposed to rule by monarchy. Two years later she publishes, "Vindication of the Rights of Woman". 1792 

Just one category 'woman': being a class of persons who have been treated the same. 

She is particularly hard on women here, but she is talking about sexism as systematic or structural. Wollstonecraft mentions that society as an instrument through education trains women not to be virtuous, not moral, not to be rational; encourages sexism. 

Pg. 27 - try to exert power in ways that are allowed through the system. By being confined by the system, women are forced to scheme and plot. The idea is that to be subservient to a system induces immorality. 

A standing army is incompatible with freedoms, it is because soldiers follow orders they are moral. The Army requires manners before morals. 

Women, like soldiers, are disciplined the same way, are told what to do. Are educated in the same way. 

[If you educated a soldier (man) to the same degree as a woman is educated they will both think the same.]

Rosseau was a sensualist in that he thought a woman should never declare herself independent, but should be governed by fear. In this way discouraging her cunning nature. You liberate women and they will have less power. If they have authority then they will be governed by laws and thus less mischievous. 

Rosseau appealed to rights for men, and wrote on women as a subordinate to them. 

Chapter 3: "Women aggravate the situation." 

Attacks man for instilling sensuous ideas within women's thoughts and women for running with more power than she would otherwise have. 

We need a revolution in female manners. Make them labour to reform themselves, and in turn reform the world.

Not that women have not been given enough, but that they have been given too much. 

What she means by virtue is very rationalistic here.