WOLLSTONECRAFT, MARY (27 April 1759–10 September 1797), writer and philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment, widely considered the founder of feminism. Born in London, she managed to acquire a breadth of knowledge through her own efforts; after her initial experiences as a lady’s companion and teacher, Wollstonecraft ventured into writing, contributing to various publications and engaging with the intellectual circles of her time. She was part of a lineage of early feminist thinkers, including Marie Le Jars de Gournay and François Poullain de la Barre, who had called for greater equality between men and women. Her early writings focus primarily on pedagogical themes influenced by the ideas of John Locke, with particular emphasis on reason governing human instincts and the importance of moral education from a young age.
In 1787, Wollstonecraft published her first book, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, which lays out her ideas on female education and conduct. In her 1790 work Vindication of the Rights of Men, Wollstonecraft attacks conservative views, particularly those surrounding the monarchy and aristocracy, arguing for a more rational and transparent understanding of political power and civil society. This critique laid the groundwork for her most famous piece, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792. In this seminal work, Wollstonecraft expands her critique of societal norms to include gender inequality and the oppression of women. She argues that women, like men, deserve access to education and opportunities for personal and intellectual development; she also calls for a transformation of marriage and family life based on friendship and mutual respect, rather than on societal expectations and economic dependence. Wollstonecraft’s later works, including her travel writings, reflect her evolving views on reason, imagination, and the complexities of human emotions. Her experiences, including unrequited love, personal struggles, and travels through Scandinavia, led her to reconsider her earlier emphasis on reason alone and to embrace a more nuanced understanding of human nature and societal change.
Despite encouragement from her publisher, Wollstonecraft received little backing from fellow intellectuals in her lifetime. Oftentimes her personal life—including her relationships and status as the mother of an illegitimate child—overshadowed her intellectual contributions. However, in the twentieth century, concurrent with the rise of feminism, scholars began to reevaluate Wollstonecraft’s legacy. She became recognized as a pioneering feminist thinker and her works are now studied within the con- text of the women’s movement and the early Gothic-feminine. Mary Wollstonecraft’s views on freedom, education, and nature continue to inform contemporary feminist discussions. She is renowned for navigating a rapidly changing political landscape and continued to refine her views in light of her experiences and observations across Europe—specifically pertaining to the French Revolution.
Wollstonecraft died at the age of thirty-eight due to complications following the birth of her second daughter, who would later become the renowned writer Mary Shelley, author of the iconic 1818 novel Frankenstein, whose Goth- ic themes clearly reflect an upbringing influenced by radical thinking. Indeed, Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is, to this day, celebrated as one of the books that changed the world. Legendary feminists and freethinkers, including George Eliot, Barbara, and Virginia Woolf, among many others, have continued to champion Wollstonecraft’s legacy.