Mary Astell (1666-1731) is considered one of the first
English feminists because of her endorsement of equal education opportunities
for women. In her early life, she was raised in a strict Anglican, middle class
household. She was homeschooled until the age of thirteen by her uncle who
encouraged her to be well-read in the teachings of Aristotle, Plato, and
Pythagoras. After both her father and uncle’s death in 1679, her family’s funds
were strained, which meant a lesser chance of marrying within her social class.
This pushed her to pursue independent study of philosophy and, after the death
of her mother in 1684, connect with an intellectual group in the Chelsea
district of London. Over time, she gained a significant following from her
outspoken nature and persuasive compositions. Although she did not limit
herself to issues of women, much of her historical influence comes from the
belief that women are perfectly capable of mastering clarity of thought
(knowing what you are capable of, who you are, and what you are doing). She
argued that proper education is necessary for all and found it reprehensible
that women were married only to be displayed as dim, wealthy trophies. One of her
most famous works, Some Reflections upon
Marriage (released with several editions), explains marriage as a construct
designed to trap women into a permanent state of inequality and “slavery.” A
popular quote from the third edition of this text is as follows: “If all men
are born free, how is it that women are born slaves? As they must be if the
being subjected to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary Will of Men,
be the perfect Condition of Slavery?” Middle-aged Astell heavily concerned
herself with establishing a charity school for girls. She succeeded and an
operational place of study at London’s Chelsea Hospital remained open until the
late 1800s.
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