A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman created a scandal in its day, largely, perhaps, because of the unconventional lifestyle of its creator. Today, it is considered the first great manifesto of women’s rights, arguing passionately for the education of women. ‘Vindication,’ written by the 18th-century British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. In this passionate reaction to Rousseau's pedagogical work Emile (1762) Wollstonecraft powerfully defends woman's ability to reason, given appropriate education. Her radical prescription was for girls to be educated alongside boys and to the same standard. This is a foundational work of feminist political