The scientific revolution
The various changes brought about by the scientific revolution provoked a reassessment of the civil society in Europe. One of the most influential concepts of the 17th and 18th century, the natural law theory was responsible for many of these changes. As both Lock and Hobes theorized the development of Natural Law, the idea of a '"'Social Contract'"' appeared in both works. This Social Contract would guaranty the population basic rights. In the event in which the people were no longer guaranty these rights, Lock argued that the people had then a right to revolte. The French '"'philosophes'"', constructing upon the Natural Law arguments, pushed even further to establish inalienable rights: the '"'Rights of Man'"'. In 1789, upon the beginning of the French Revolution, the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen established liberty, property, safety and resistance to oppression as fundamental rights, and declared that all men were born equal. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen spurred strong reactions from intellectuals in Europe. Among them, opposing the direct ideological consequences of the French Revolution, Edmund Burke argued that the Equality of Men concept attributed false rights to its citizens and provided vain expectations to its people. Through A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wolstonecraft responded to Burke and asserted the existence and importance of Natural Rights. More specifically, she argued that God had given Natural Rights to both men and women. Known as the '"'feminist bible'"' throughout the 19th century, her Vindication offered a view of society from a female perspective, and exposed the exploitation of women. Female physical inferiority led men of the period to analyze the situation and worsen the condition of women in the world. In the 18th century, female
physical inferiority, reiforced that equality between men and women did not exist. It help to justified the outcast of women from education, society and all aspects of responsibility. Instead, women were lavishly stuffed with material comfort and paraded through superficial social circles, until others, younger, prettier, and even more simple-minded replaced them. In her essay, Wollstonecraft initially observes that '"'Women are told from their infancy […] that softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety will obtain them the protection of men'"' (Wollstonecraft 19). The period"'"s articulation of female propriety led directly to ...
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physical inferiority, reiforced that equality between men and women did not exist. It help to justified the outcast of women from education, society and all aspects of responsibility. Instead, women were lavishly stuffed with material comfort and paraded through superficial social circles, until others, younger, prettier, and even more simple-minded replaced them. In her essay, Wollstonecraft initially observes that '"'Women are told from their infancy […] that softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety will obtain them the protection of men'"' (Wollstonecraft 19). The period"'"s articulation of female propriety led directly to further complications pertaining to the education of women. Wollstonecraft argued that due to physical inferiority, women had less opportunity than men to attain virtue. Their weaknesses restrained them from engaging in '"'worldly pursuit'"' or else that participated to shaping one"'"s virtue (26). Wollstonecraft even agreed that '"'men seem to be designated by Providence to attain a greater degree of virtue'"' (26). However, such implications have been the base for the male-run society to keep women away from education, the path to virtue. Because women are less able to learn on their own due to the previously discussed physical weaknesses, society should not waste its time to go through female education. As Wollstonecraft reflected upon the lack of education provided to women, she suggested indirectly that men are responsible for women"'"s imperfections. Because women had not been granted education, their knowledge consisted of accumulated random and incomplete information (24). Consequently, Wollstonecraft suggested that through this '"'imperfect cultivation'"', women could '"'only attain a knowledge of evil'"' (20). Therefore, while men tried to prevent the education of women, they also deliberately prevented their access to virtue, greater equality and their participation in their society. Therefore, I believe it fair to say that men attempted to perpetuate the ignorance of women and stimulated their evil to justify the necessity of their despotic control over them. The despotic control men attempted to exercise over women can be exemplified by a quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau: '"'What is most wanted of women is gentleness; […] she should early learn to submit to injustice and to suffer the wrongs inflicted on her by her husband without complaint'"' (Wollstonecraft 25). Indeed, Rousseau, along with DR Gregory, have participated and contributed to the subservience of women. As the works of these authors were widely read, they are true glimpses of the 18th century society. To show the geographical extend of the unjust condition of women, this example is one regarding the Islam religion, from the footnotes on page 19: '"'Islam did not allow women to go to heaven and denied them souls'"'. Women were treated unjustly by their male counterparts throughout the globe. This aspect of male authority over women greatly affected them, notably destroying proper maternal instincts, robbing them from the most sincere and enjoyable responsibility in a women"'"s life. The subjection of women to male authority under the marriage contract, led Wollstonecraft to question women"'"s maternity instinct! From their childhood, women were told that obedience and softness of temper were prerequisites to finding a husband (19). Despite changes in the civil society such as the emergence of natural rights, scientific principles and philosophical thoughts, marriage remained, for women, the required path to community acceptance. Therefore, women complied; marriage was for women the only solution to rise in the world (Wollstonecraft 10). After many years of subjugation, obedience and innocence, Wollstonecraft questions: '"'Can they [women] be expected to govern a family with judgment, or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into the world?'"' (Wollstonecraft 10). The answer is no. They dressed, they painted, they acted innocent, and were '"'taken out of their sphere of duties and made ridiculous and useless when the short-lived bloom of beauty is gone'"' (Wollstonecraft 11). Through their pursuit of beauty and childish innocence, Women seeked to gain ephemeral power Vis a Vis men. Women could not hope to gain power in society, therefore, the only area they could influence was their households. Ultimately, as mentioned above, beauty would fade away. Moreover, Wollstonecraft argued that women"'"s innocence is a weakness: '"'Children, I grant, should be innocent; but when the epithet is applied to men, or women, it is but a civil term for weakness'"' (21). In any case, whatever power women gained through beauty or charm, they would likely lose shortly. Only by building a relationship base on trust and friendship would a women not be abused or replaced. Education was Wollstonecraft"'"s solution. In her opinion, educating the mind and the heart were most important to the success of one"'"s life. In France, as in Britain, steps were engaged to attempt to make a difference. In August 1789, during great economic strain, King Louis XVI called for the '"'Etats-Generaux'"' to help him resolve the crisis situation. In addition, the King requested the three estates to write out their grievances in the '"'Cahiers de Doleances'"'. While drafting these, estates took suggestions from all. I have found a document called '"'A petition to the King, from the 3rd estates"'" women'"' (translated), which was written by women and sent to the 3rd estate draft. Unfortunately, it did not make it into the '"'cahiers'"'. The analysis of this document is very interesting because it ties in directly with Wollstonecraft"'"s points. The first section of the document informed the King of the educational situation of France in the countryside. Thought by '"'corrupt'"' teachers who could barely speak proper French, girls went to school until they could read the Mess in French. With little education, if nature did not make them pretty, they married a poor artisan and bore children that they could not even raise. If they were pretty, they still lacked education, moral character and culture. They were prays for seducers, and when abandoned, they died of debauchery. The views expressed in the text are very pessimistic, however, they reflect the living difficulties encountered by women during the late 18th century. Their only request to the King was to give them a chance to emerge from ignorance to be able to give their children a reasonable education and to make them better subjects of his majesty. Education, they argued, would also enlighten them on subjects such as patriotism, sensitivity and etiquette. The deplorable condition of women was cast upon them by men. Unfortunately, women had to addapt to live and therefore subjected themselves to degradations through the pursuit of beauty and innocence. However, as they engaged in this cycle, they became trapped in dependency and had no means to exit. Their only hope, education, was refused to them to perpetuate their dependency and subservience. The condition of women was definetly an international issue in the 18th century. Through A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Wollstonecraft cried for an awakening of women, possible only through education. Finally, this dominating quote from the essay seemed to fit Wollstonecraft"'"s goal: '"'Consequently, the perfection of our nature and capability of happiness, must be estimated by the degree of reason, virtue, and knowledge, that distinguish the individual, and direct the laws which bind society: and that from the exercise of reason, knowledge and virtue naturally flow, is equally undeniable, if mankind be viewed collectively'"' (Wollstonecraft 13).
