Wollstonecraft Intellectually Impacts Society (Essay Example)

Before Wollstonecraft's ideas, society for women was controlled and there was little room for women's independence. Women were told what to do and women were represented by men or their husbands. Women did not have equal rights as men and did not have much opportunity for work, advancements, and education. Mary Wollstonecraft was an English women’s feminist and activist who fought for woman's gender equity. Wollstonecraft wanted women in this world to become more assertive when it comes to gaining their opportunities and used her literature to spread her ideas to the public. Mary Wollstonecraft intellectually impacted society because her ideas caused an uprising of women’s individuality and a break free of governing and finding their freedom and opportunities during the period of enlightenment. 

Mary Wollstonecraft wanted the women of this world to have equal rights and opportunities as men. Her goal was to have women obtain their social value as well as become more assertive when it comes to acquiring the rights of women. Wollstonecraft urges women to reevaluate and assert themselves because of the way that men view them. (Frank). Wollstonecraft wanted to change the view of women’s structure and become an advocate for which women could find their identity. Wollstonecraft was a huge supporter of the opportunity for women to have educational and social equality. She did not care for the views of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Because men were the "superior beings", he believed that women should rely upon men for their well being and stability because of their poor perceptiveness. Wollstonecraft's disagreement with Rousseau's point of view where women are seen as less intellectually driven her motivation to get women to advocate for themselves and to integrate and assert themselves more in the work field. Although she did not agree with Rousseau, Wollstonecraft took Rousseau's ideas from certain educational thoughts but did not agree with his overall ideas about women (“Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment) Wollstonecraft firmly believes that women have the power to work for themselves and not rely on a man. 

Mary Wollstonecraft was a writer who promoted and advocated feminism in her writing. She used her gift in literature and writing to inspire and place her ideas into this society controlled by men. In 1798, Wollstonecraft wrote a book in favor of women's impartiality. Wollstonecraft's incomplete piece of work “The Wrongs of Women '', argued for gender equality in a way that women would widely read (Frank). On account that she was a huge patron of education and overall equality for women, her book was about women who were imprisoned and “property” of their husbands. “As a result , her arguments on behalf of women did not bring about any basic social changes, other people used her ideas to bring attention to the world (Frank.)” Like any other philosopher, individuals applied Wollstonecraft's ideas and fed off of them to create this “feminist” idea. They wanted to also change gender roles just like her, but based on her objective. Based on Wollstonecraft's ideas and writings, she believed that this would benefit all of society. 

This responsibility of women to become more individualistic was during the period of enlightenment. Before enlightenment, women were seen as of lesser value in the eyes of men which created this mindset where females were not taken seriously and given the same rights and opportunities. Enlightenment in general was the progressive improvement of society in which individuals would refine the world around them and themselves. During the French and American revolutions, literature was booming. Authors and philosophers were proficient in bouncing and arguing each other's ideas. Mary Wollstonecraft did exactly that. During the French revolution, a mass amount of books were printed. This was the perfect opportunity to have the world look at this new view that hopefully would create industrial development. Wollstonecraft's behavior reflected her belief in absolute human rights which was also given world word currency by the American and French revolutions (Frank.)” In all of her writing, she continuously argued that women have the same fundamental rights as any other human being on this earth. 

Wollstonecraft was a role model and an example of how a woman can support themselves. She showed her financial independence and how she was able to maintain herself without a man. In fact, she was so independent that she was able to support her sister financially, had her source of income, and owned her own housing. (World History in Context). By being financially supportive of herself and other people, without having another shoulder to lean on, Wollstonecraft shows her independence and stability that she thrived on alone. Additionally, for extra income, she wrote for the “New Analytical Review” and taught herself German, French, and Dutch. This was all so that she would be able to translate articles on philosophy from all over the world for other readers to construe (World History in Context.) As if the “New Analytical Review” was an interview on paper, this is where writers would review their own books and ideas. In today's present day society, women are included in political, cultural, and economical society and show themselves to be the independent and strong beings that Wollstonecraft wanted. In hopes of inspiring this world that controlled women, Wollstonecraft used literature during the enlightenment and revolution periods to broaden her ideas of equal women's rights for all. 

Mary Wollstonecraft intellectually impacted society through her arguments and literature during enlightenment. She was a huge promoter of social and educational equality for women. Women needed to be seen as equal to men in the sense of where they would receive equal rights and opportunities. Relating to other philosophers' points of view on women, she was attempting to get women away from this stereotype of depending on others. She firmly believed that one did not need a man to rely on to survive life. Although women have come a long way from the civil rights act of 1968, women still have a long way to go in the fight of equal rights such as equal pay in the workforce. Back then, women put themselves in danger when it came to being vocal about their freedom. From doctors, principles, presidents, scientists, and veterinarians women continuously prove to be the strong and independent individuals that Wollstonecraft would be proud of. Wollstonecraft believed that women could be strong, independent, and thrive on their own without the help of another being and deserve the equal rights that they deserve as human beings.