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Mary Wollstonecraft

March 9, 2026 · 22 min

Show notes

Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most radical and influential thinkers of the eighteenth century, long before the word feminism even existed. Born in London in 1759, she rose from an unstable and often violent childhood to become a professional writer, political philosopher, and outspoken advocate for women's education and independence. Best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft argued that women were not naturally inferior to men, but made so by lack of opportunity. Her life was marked by intellectual courage, personal hardship, scandal, and lasting influence, shaping debates about equality that continue today.

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