From the outset of her manuscript Mary Wollstonecraft seems to agree with the assertion that women are naturally weak but that they are further degraded by circumstance which is the fault of society.
She argues for the independences of women, that they do not simply exist for the benefit of men.
She argues the large differences between gender roles are the fault of education because education teaches and develops each gender for their specific gender role in life which they take without question.
The opportunity to pursue an intellectual career is not only denied to women but writers argue that with few exceptions women are simply not able to pursue an intellectual role in life.
Later in the text she remarks upon the fact that men are thoroughly prepared for professions, all their energy is directed at their goals with pleasure only as relaxation. In contrast women seek pleasure continuously and attempt to marry advantageously.
Such differences digress into the mental states and patterns of thinking for both sexes. Men are destination orientated whereas women focus on the journey and on what Wollstonecraft calls trivialities which prevent ‘dignity of the mind.’
However overall she states the government is the most at fault for such diverse gender differences by creating many obstacles that impede women who despite all prejudges pursue understanding and reason from the beginning.
Many women who understand their place in society use their beauty to get by and thus are treated with hollow respect for it which inevitably means their cries for equality are ignored. However in regard to equality women are revered by men for their beauty and thus these women are exalted by their place and focus on their looks and thus give up virtue. Because they are taught to please man they only look to please man.
Wollstonecraft also hates the chivalrous nature of men and thinks such actions such as to close a door for a woman systematically degrades such women because they are supposedly and insultingly supporting their own superiority by doing so.
She asserts that whilst men require ability and virtue to rise above the middle class women are effectively born rich and are not so inclined to work for what is beyond their minimum duty.
She continues by arguing there is no case where women have seized respect through admirable ability and virtue.
She states women are governed by emotion which not only produces an anxious disposition but can be troublesome to others. Such examples can be seen in novels music and other media she says.
Through amiable weakness women become dependent on men not only for protection but also reason and must look to man for every comfort.
Rousseau stated: ‘Educate women like men and the more they resemble our sex the less power will they have over us.’ Mary Wollstonecraft agrees with this statement greatly as she wants women to have power over themselves not over men.
On the subject of child rearing she states that whilst society leaves children to the care of women they are actually unfit for this task as they are ruled by their feelings and this will create a child of spoiled tempter. Management of temper is the first most important branch of education Wollstonecraft states and thus requires a mind of reason to achieve this which women do not possess.
Mary Wollstonecraft argues men and women should not have their sensations heightened through sheer apathy at the expense of their understanding.
Men have used arguments deduced from nature to morally and physically degrade the female sex.
For example the idea of a woman maturing faster than men is based on the prejudges of men that judges beauty as the measure of perfection in women.
She states the ideals of polygamy mean women are inferior to men in the fact one man has many women.
However despite her disagreements with polygamy she also has problems with marriage. Whilst she respects the institution of marriage as the foundation of most social virtues she also feels marriage secludes women from sensations that improve the heart and mind.
She argues the obedience of women in marriage falls under this description because the mind never exerts its own powers having been weakened by depending on authority.
On the subjects of friendship and love Wollstonecraft states friendship is the most sublime of affections because it is founded on principle and cemented by time. Whereas love is the reverse and for that reason they cannot coexist but instead destroy one another.
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