Mary Wollstonecraft Feminist Educational Thought

Mary Wollstonecraft who lived in 18th century is a famous English writer and feminist ideologist, main representative of early liberal feminism. Her famous book, "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" is the origin and foundation stone of modern feminism, which is recognized as the first women's theoretical works and has the world universal influence. She used many assumptions, arguments skills and perspectives, which also used in human nature and the government by the male ideologists, defining a new social status for women-equality between men and women.Wollstonecraft felt sad for women's ignorance, narrow-minded.she analyzed profoundly the gender differences between men and women, pointing out that women's inferior was caused by inappropriate education and social environment. Finally she concluded that gender differences were " far from connaturalness ", and women should be equal with men.Wollstonecraft proposed the program of the development of new women's education. The purpose of the education is to train women to become rational family-orient, so that women can better fulfill the responsibilities God has given to them, and then promote the development of human society through their identity of wife and mother. The core of female education is rationality, so as to make the emotions of the women under control and guidance. The principle of women's education is to build the public's daily school, so that men and women can receive the common education in the same school.Wollstonecraft's feminist ideology of education is clearly too advanced with respect to the age she lived in, but it in the 19th century feminist has won many followers among the 19th century feminists, and today it still maintains its vitality. There is still a long way to go before the liberation of women in present world, and Wollstonecraft's thoughts still have a referential significance to us.