Thoughts on the Education of Daughters

A feminist reflection on female conduct, ‘Thoughts on the Education of Daughters’ offers advice on moral and intellect for young women and girls.

First published by the British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft in 1787, the self-help title invites readers today to peek behind the curtain at respectable – and what was considered then to be progressive – female behaviour.

From child-rearing instructions to analytical thinking, Wollstonecraft adapted old genres to appeal to a new middle-class ethos, arguing that social and political life would greatly improve if women acquired valuable skills.

Considered today the founding thoughts for Wollstonecraft’s later work 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women,’ ‘Thoughts’ is a must-read for fans of Helena Bonham Carter and Carey Mulligan in Netflix’s acclaimed ‘Suffragette’ film.

The founding feminist philosopher, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was an English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights. Whilst her unconventional relationships attracted more attention than her writing at the time, Wollstonecraft is best known for ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’; a ground-breaking work arguing that women are not naturally inferior to men.

Despite her posthumously published ‘Memoir’ overshadowing her writing career, Wollstonecraft remains today an influential figure in the advocacy for women’s rights following the feminist movement at the turn of the 20th century. She died giving birth to her second daughter, Mary Shelley, the accomplished author of ‘Frankenstein’.