Mary Wollstore Craft

Biography of the philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft

Full Name: Mary Wollstonecraft

Birthplace and Country: Mary Wollstonecraft was born on April 27, 1759, in London, England.

Early Life and Education:

Mary Wollstonecraft was the second of seven children in her family.

Her family faced financial difficulties, and her upbringing was marked by instability and frequent relocations.

Despite limited formal education, Mary was an avid reader and largely self-educated. She educated herself by reading books from her father's library and participating in discussions with her older brother, who was attending school.

Personal Life:

Wollstonecraft faced many challenges in her personal life, including an abusive father and the need to support herself through work as a governess and later as a writer.

She moved to London in 1778 and began working as a governess for a wealthy family.

Wollstonecraft's personal experiences and observations of societal injustices, particularly those faced by women, fueled her passion for advocating women's rights and social reform.

She had a complicated personal life, marked by several romantic relationships and an illegitimate daughter, Fanny Imlay, born in 1794.

Written Books:

"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792): This is Mary Wollstonecraft's most famous and influential work. In it, she argued for the equality of women and men in education, politics, and society. She criticized the prevailing view of women as inferior and called for women to receive an education that would allow them to participate as equals in public life.

"A Vindication of the Rights of Men" (1790): This work was a response to Edmund Burke's "Reflections on the Revolution in France" and defended the principles of the French Revolution.

"Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman" (unfinished, published posthumously in 1798): This novel explores issues of women's rights and the oppressive conditions women faced in society.

"Letters Written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark" (1796): This travelogue describes Wollstonecraft's experiences and observations during her journey to Scandinavia.

Legacy:

Mary Wollstonecraft is considered one of the foundational figures of modern feminism. Her work, especially "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," laid the groundwork for the women's rights movement in the 19th and 20th centuries.

She is also recognized for her contributions to the broader movement for social and political reform during the Enlightenment era.

Wollstonecraft's emphasis on reason and education as tools for achieving gender equality remains influential in feminist thought.

Her daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, became a famous writer and is best known as the author of "Frankenstein."

Death Date and Place: Mary Wollstonecraft died on September 10, 1797, in London, England, at the age of 38, just 11 days after giving birth to her second daughter, Mary Shelley. Her ideas and writings continue to inspire feminist and social justice movements around the world.