A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Dover Thrift Editions)

Considered a heroine of feminism, Wollstonecraft argues that women, rather than cultivating power from sexual allure, should be honest, intelligent, and independent. Her views about how women's innate worth is denigrated by improper definitions of the feminine in novels, advice literature, and in educational systems has inspired women for over two centuries. In an era of revolutions demanding greater liberties for mankind, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was an ardent feminist who spoke eloquently for countless women of her time.Having witnessed firsthand the devastating results of male improvidence, she assumed an independent role early in life, educating herself and eventually earning a living as a governess, teacher and writer. She was also an esteemed member of the radical intellectual circle that included William Godwin (father of her daughter, novelist Mary Godwin Shelley, and later her husband), Thomas Paine, William Blake, Henry Fuseli and others.First published in 1792, 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:'Tyrants and sensualists are in the right when they endeavor to keep women in the dark, because the former want only slaves, and the later a plaything.'No narrow-minded zealot, Wollstonecraft balanced passionate advocacy with a sympathetic warmth — a characteristic that helped her ideas achieve widespread influence. Anyone interested in the history of the women's rights movement will welcome this inexpensive edition of one of the landmark documents in the struggle for human dignity, freedom and equality. The Rights And Involved Duties Of Mankind Considered -- The Prevailing Opinion Of A Sexual Character Discussed -- The Same Subject Continued -- Observations On The State Of Degradation To Which Woman Is Reduced By Various Causes -- Animadversions On Some Of The Writers Who Have Rendered Women Objects Of Pity, Bodering On Contempt -- The Effect Which An Early Association Of Ideas Has Upon The Character -- Modest: Comprehensively Considered, And Not As A Sexual Virtue -- Morality Undermined By Sexual Notions Of The Importance Of A Good Reputation -- Of The Pernicious Effects Which Arise From The Unnatural Distinctions Established In Society -- Parental Affection -- Duty To Parents -- On National Education -- Some Instances Of The Folly Which The Ignorance Of Women Generates; With Concluding Reflections On The Moral Improvement That A Revolution In Female Manners Might Naturally Be Expected To Produce. Mary Wollstonecraft. Originally Published: 2nd Ed. London : J. Johnson, 1792. Explanatory Footnotes And An Introductory Note Have Been Prepared Specially For This Edition--verso T.p. Includes Bibliographical References. From Goodreads: Writing in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity, and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft's work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage - Walpole called her 'a hyena in petticoats' - yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism. A manifesto for women's rights stresses the need for the education of women, defines the female character, and applies the egalitarian principles of the era to women.