Summary

Introduction

False system of education for women; to make them alluring (7); women only inferior to men physically, not in their talents or virtue (8); aims her writing at middle class women (9); will not address them as if children (9); complains of education only in 'accomplishments' (10); weakness of women can become a kind of tyranny (11).

Ch. I. The rights and involved duties of mankind considered

Mankind distinguished by reason, virtue, and knowledge (12); contrasted with prejudice and prescription that rule society (12-13); Rousseau's arguments for virtue of state of nature rebutted (13-15); weakness and folly of kings (16); mindless submission and gallantry of military or sailors (17); history of rule by aristocracy and monarchy warps the intellect (18-19).

Ch. II. The prevailing opinion of a sexual character discussed

Women taught softness and cunning (19); kept as if children, to be guided by man (20); on education for women as degrading them (21-20); neglect of order for bodily skills (23); like military officers, they acquire manners rather than morals (24); against Rousseau's Sophy: women limited to grace and obedience (25); whereas women have same duty as men to realize their virtue (26); women trained to allure will soon lose interest of their husbands (27); advice of Gregory rejected (28); sensual occupations of women unfit them for marriage (29); love cannot be expected to last in marriage (30), cultivation of reason and understanding required (31-2); gentleness disgusting when merely submission (33); the "fair defects" of women (34); estimate powers of woman when her faculties given room to develop (35-6); tyrants and slaves through history, not only in the subjection of woman (37).

Ch. III. The same subject continued

Men of genius also generally strong in body (38); knowledge of men and women should be the same (39); cultivated defect of women holds back civilization of all (40); liberty in early education required (41); not confinement to chatter of nurses, etc. (42); need for free exercise like boys (43); but women of fashion take pride in their weakness (44); like men who tyrannize, women who abuse their power lose their humanity (45); God calls for the exercise of knowledge as well as love (46); prejudice of women being most attractive in their weakness (47); trained for dependence, women act arbitrarily (48); and if widowed, are left defenceless (48-9); contrasted with a woman of understanding left a widow (50-1); no difference in duties of men and women, albeit weaknesses of both are common (51).

Ch. IV. Observations on the state of degradation to which woman is reduced by various causes

Incongruity of elevating women's sensibility while denying her reason (52); that women's education has been only a preparation for life (53); lack of reason attributed to women (54); woman trained for pleasure and men's homage (55), so that, like a king, rational discourse is prevented (56); demeaning of women by men's attentions (57); the aristocrat and women (i.e. Ladies) both stereotyped by their situation (58); Smith quoted: nobleman learns propriety and style, not true knowledge (58-9); men prepare for a profession, women pursue pleasure in preparing for marriage (60), being blown about by sensibility (60-1); women made fragile and parasitic on men (62); sensibility only instinct and ignorance (63); for family life, women need reason not sensibility (64); upper class women have vanity rather than sensibility (65); fate of unmarried sisters (65); fate of women educated merely for marriage: domestic tyrants (66-7); the fine lady as entertainment for men (67); women of sensibility without reason unfit for management of children (68); women said to have shorter period to maturity (69); polygamy unnatural (70-1); young women who are 'ruined' by deceit, fall to prostitution (71-2); encouraging sexual habits in marriage that cannot long be satisfied: should aim at friendship not passion (73); imagination paints more exciting scenes of love than virtue (74); women's education makes them either romantic or vain (75); too obsessed with their clothes through training in needlework (75); trivial employments reduce the mind (76); degradation of woman from poor understanding (77).

Ch. V. Animadversions on some of the writers who have rendered women objects of pity, bordering on contempt

On Rousseau: cites Sophia, example of cultivated weakness (78); on education of woman to fit them for uses of men (79); girls to cultivate bodily beauty (80); French girls trained early to please, think sexually (81); on constraint and obedience required of women (82); forbearance required of a wife (83); but this trains in cunning which may lead to adultery (84); but girls should have same physical exercise as boys (85); Rousseau on women's fluency of speech (86); lack of reason and understanding in religious matters (86-7); Sophia dresses to incite male imagination (87-8); some understanding in a wife is a comfort for the man (88); woman to be sparing of her sexual favours in marriage (89); but such training likely to keep a woman virtuous only briefly (90); that Rousseau indulged his licentious imagination (91); wisdom and virtue should be founded on knowledge (92);

On Fordyce, training women to be meek and artificial (93); on frail woman, needing protection (93-4); piety that gives them dignity (94); women seen as docile domestic slaves (95-6);

On Gregory, view of men as gallants and deceivers (97); against precepts without understanding (98); on deception advised by Gregory (99); against circumspection (100);

On traditional prerogative of men that denies self-government of women (101); Piozzi's advice to husband, not to let his wife see her charms have waned on him (102); de Stael praises Rousseau's admiration for women's charms (103); Genlis novel criticized (104-5); mentions Macaulay with approbation (105-6); on Chesterfield's premature advice to his son, precepts of caution (106-7); early enthusiasm welcomed (108); a life of prudence appropriate only if we are not immortal (109); passion develops our faculties (110-11); we need to live in the world to gain knowledge of others (112); on prematurely educated children (112-3); on examining prejudices by principle (113-4); education requires activity of learner (114); religion requires reason as well as poetry (114-5).

Ch. VI. The effect which early association of ideas has upon the character

Associating power of mind: rapid, and little under control of understanding (115-6); force of early associations, detrimental to women (116-7); without reason they must learn by rote (117); poor judgement of women, attracted to rakes (118-20).

Ch. VII. Modesty.--Comprehensively considered, and not as a sexual virtue

Modesty as either chastity or, more importantly, lack of presumption, but not humility (121-2); includes delicacy of mind, a part of cultivation and reason (122-3); leads to modesty of the lover (124); debauchery of lewd wit worse than libertinism (125); need for modesty in both sexes (126); girls raised together at school encourages immodesty (127-8); advocates neatness in dress and exercise (129); knowledge and love will lead to genuine modesty (130); only compatible in the long run with virtue (130-1).

Ch. VIII. Morality undermined by sexual notions of the importance of a good reputation

Behaviour and reputation the concern of women (131-2); married woman keeping reputation while deceiving husbands or becoming dissipated (132); morality commonly founded too much on mere behaviour (133); consistency of innocence invites best judgement of behaviour (134); but we should judge ourselves by God's eye rather than that of others (135); and be forgiving in judging others (136); modesty of women focused on single issue of chastity (137); men's appetite indulged by prostitutes, facilitated by wives who condemn the woman who lapses from chastity (138); improvement requires modesty of both men and women (140).

Ch. IX. Of the pernicious effects which arise from the unnatural distinctions established in society

Property creates class divisions, the incentive to gain respect (140); virtue in society and between the sexes will come only from equality (141); respect paid to wealth and personal charms vitiates morality (141); maternal affection in a wife preferably to any wanton charms (142); destructive effect of riches; soldiers called from gaming table to war (143); women cannot act from virtue because restrained by propriety (144-5); women enervated by having no natural rights (146); but in same position as unenfranchised labourers whose taxes support royalty (147); on kinds of productive work that women could perform (148); respectable women the most oppressed, confined to role of mere sensibility (149); emancipated women would make fitter companions for men (150).

Ch. X. Parental affection

Narrow ambition or indulgent affection often mar mothers' duty to their children (150-1); children given to servants; parental affection should replace that of lover (152).

Ch. XI. Duty to parents

Parents demand duty from children rather than respect based on discharge of their duty (152-3); respect for parents, too often based on property (154); grounds of prescription hid in darkness, as if sublime (154); blind submission of children to authority weakens the will (155); reason of parents not command called for (156); children should learn to love parents by the light of reason (156-7).

Ch. XII. On national education

Private education of a child less effective than among a community of children (157); social affection learned among peers (157-8); but vicious habits acquired at boarding schools (158); day schools much to be preferred to boarding (159); resistance to innovation, retaining outmoded forms of worship in schools (159-60); indolence and servility of teachers at college (161); need for national days schools, not forced accomplishments of present schools made to impress parents (163); confinement at schools and contraction of vices (164-5); boys and girls should be educated together (165); on acquisition of true taste for the arts (166); corruption of women in high class society (167); system of elementary schools proposed, with more specialized at secondary level (167-8); co-education might encourage early marriage (169); instead of training in cunning and dissipation (170); rejects charge of idealism (171); cruelty to animals acquired early, leads to neglect of children or servants (172-3); narrowness enforced on woman, contradictions of Rousseau (174); corrupt influence of women on politics in France and Italy (175); prejudice against natural mothering (176); proper education women for being mothers and citizens outlined (177-8).

Ch. XIII. Some instances of the folly which the ignorance of women generates; . . .

Specific follies due to prejudice and ignorance imposed on women (178-9): seeking to know the future by astrology, against religious principles (179-80); seeking cures by mesmerism (180-3); indulging in sentiment, inflating its importance (183); on avoiding reading of novels (184-6); trivializing preoccupation with dress and ornament, creates false rivalries (186-8); greater sensibility of women seen as narrow and selfish (188-9); ignorance and neglect of mothers in early education of their children (189-91); concluding: morality must be based solely on reason (191); mind and understanding the true basis of affection (192); marriage vitiated by men's commitment to selfish pleasures of lust (192-3); oppression of women in marriage produces their cunning (193); free women so that they can prove if they are the equals of men (194).

Last updated Sunday, September 1, 1996