Wollstonecraft uses reason in the universal extent to objectify women’s position in the society. She points out that women are alienated in the men dominated society. For example, they are pre-believed to be incapable of thinking, thus need guidance of men. Wollstonecraft crafted her arguments against this mistreatment in her Vindication to illustrate the application of reason in women’s position in society and how it contradicts with the existing notion.
It is said that women need supervision since women are mentally not fit and prone to crudeness. Further can be said that women lack morals, fewer skills. This seems reasonable when women are not given independence to that extent compared to men. This makes women’s position in the society as useless. But, Wollstonecraft argues that this cannot be justified unless women are given enough opportunities to flourish their faculties. In her words, both men and women have human souls, therefore, is capable of thinking. The human brain is highly specialized to think rationally which leads to objectifying the wrongs and poll for the rights. A man can be physically much stronger than a woman but both of them are almost equal in mental strength. It’s the inborn human characteristics that bear witness that women do not need supervision; they can develop into the human when an opportunity is given.
The society cannot give women the higher status because the bonding between men and women is viewed as mere romance. Wollstonecraft points out that this the wrong perspective to look at the relation. Instead, we must see this relation as friendship, the much deeper closer bond. In term of romance, women’s duty is over with a married. She then becomes a housewife, raising one or more children and that’s it. She has no significant intellectual reputation in society, not to speak of respect. With friendship comes respect. People respect each other in a friendship more than in romance. It naturally comes due to needing for each other. They also share some secrets which might not be shared otherwise in a different relation. Therefore, the notion of romance must go away in order to give women a position in society which is equal to that of a man.
Wollstonecraft’s urge for equal ground through application of reason gives birth the modern world with more equal opportunities for both sexes. However, the problem is now in different direction. Selective hiring process, unequal wages are such few examples. Only reasons will open the eyes of the society for its inbuilt inequality of framework which can be destroyed through reasonable actions of reasonable people. Hopefully, this issues will be addressed soon as was the case with Wollstonecraft’s as the clock ticks on.
Works Cited
Wollstonecraft,Mary. Vindication of the rights of woman, chapter1 & 2. Accessed Nov 10,2017
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