Mary Wollstonecraft

Biography

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was an influential English writer, philosopher, and advocate for women’s rights. Born in London, she grew up in a family marked by financial instability and an abusive father, which inspired her lifelong commitment to independence and equality.

Wollstonecraft began her career as a governess and later became a professional writer—an uncommon path for women in the 18th century. Her early works included Thoughts on the Education of Daughters (1787), which emphasized the importance of rational education for women. She soon became associated with a circle of radical intellectuals in London, contributing to political and philosophical debates of her time.

Her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), argued that women were not naturally inferior to men but appeared so because they lacked education. She called for equal educational opportunities and rational thinking as the foundation for moral and social progress. The book became a cornerstone of modern feminist thought.

Wollstonecraft’s personal life was as unconventional as her ideas. She traveled to France during the Revolution, wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men in defense of republican principles, and had relationships that defied social norms. She married philosopher William Godwin in 1797, and shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin—later known as Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein—she died at the age of 38 due to complications from childbirth.

Though controversial in her time, Mary Wollstonecraft’s writings laid the groundwork for later feminist movements. Her belief in reason, education, and equality continues to inspire advocates for women’s rights around the world.