WOLLSTONECRAFT & ROUSSEAU

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft, both pivotal figures in the Enlightenment,
engaged profoundly with themes of education, modernity, family, and the state, each advancing
ideas that have deeply influenced modern philosophical and political thought. Despite their
shared era and foundational interest in human rights and societal improvement, their views
diverged significantly in several areas.

EDUCATION

Rousseau’s views on Education

Rousseau’s Emile, or On Education (1762) was an educational treatise. Rousseau expressed
his thoughts on education in this text. He became celebrated as a theorist of education and
child-rearing. However, Rousseau's ideas on education became the subject of criticism for early
feminists like Wollstonecraft.

Rousseau’s perspective on women’s nature and education, primarily outlined in “Emile,” ties
women’s roles closely to their sexual and reproductive functions, asserting that feminine virtues
should focus on pleasing men and prioritizing their needs. According to Rousseau, there is a
natural difference in men and women's abilities, qualities, needs, and desires. Men are
physically strong but weak in controlling his passion; Women are physically weak but
emotionally strong; they can control their passions. Hence, there should be different education
to men and women; same education to both sexes would be morally degrading and disturb
social order. He proposed a separate and subordinate educational model for women,
emphasizing modesty, domesticity, and submission. Rousseau’s conservative stance suggested
that these qualities were inherently natural to women, thereby justifying their limited social
status. He believed that women were unsuited for abstract or political thought and should be
educated only for the benefit and pleasure of men. His views faced criticism for reinforcing
societal constructs that maintained women’s subordination and for dismissing the potential of
women as independent individuals. Rousseau’s approach significantly restricted women’s roles,
arguing that their education should solely revolve around the labors of their sex, essentially
training them to serve and please men.

Wollstonecraft’s critique of Rousseau’s views on education

Wollstonecraft strongly argued that women's lack of capability in abstract reasoning and
creativity is not due to her natural incapacity, but it is primarily due to the kind of education and
environment she is receiving. Rousseau took the false and artificial female manners as natural
attributes of women. Hence, Rousseau mixed natural with artificial. What Rousseau said
women's power - beauty, tenderness, sensuality, and suppressed passion, etc. are artificially
created, gave false sense of power to women, and helped in confining women in golden cage.
Such false identity, consciousness, roles, needs, desire of women were created and maintained
by writing and thoughts such as of Rousseau. She cut Rousseau's idea of 'Perfect men' and
'perfect women'. She contended that there is only one perfect human being; and perfectibility in
human character can be brought by perfection of reason. She also rejected Rousseau's ideas of
different male and female virtues. To her, by proper and common education, the same virtues
can be inculcated in both men and women. Against Rousseau's ideas, she contended that
denial of liberty, equality and rights to women is morally degrading, and yes existing social order
needs to be disturbed for ending women's subordination and subjection. She not only provided
philosophical grounds for her disagreement with Rousseau, but also pointed out that his
educational proposals for women will actually undermine his social and political project. Her
critique of Rousseau's ideas on education stemmed from her assertion that women are also
"human creatures who in common with men are placed on earth to unfold their faculties."

Wollstonecraft’s views on education

According to Mary Wollstonecraft, the faulty education system was one of the prime factors
behind women's subordination and subjection. She held the view that both male and female
have been given a sense of reason in equal measure by the God- the creator of both the sexes.
But a sense of reason needs development, cultivation, and perfection by learning, training, and
practice done under a proper education system. However, men have monopolized the learning
and development of a sense of reason. They themselves developed their sense of reason but
denied development of reason in women by imposing a faulty education system on them. The
current education given to women, instead of developing the sense of reason in women,
teaches them to develop false and artificial 'female manners. The prevailing education and
learning guide them in the wrong direction. It teaches them that their place is a household in
which they are supposed to live under the guidance of men. It also teaches them to develop
proper female manners of being feeble, delicate, beautiful, soft spoken, attractive, emotional,
caring, and all which is stereotyped as being women. In her view, total revamping of the
education system is required to improve upon the miserable condition of women. Women need
to un- learn or forget whatever wrongly has been taught to them for generations and they need
to re-learn through right education to bring about social changes and reforms both in private and
public affairs.

According to her, the aims of Education should be:

• Cultivation of reason to develop autonomous, rational human being
• To have well balanced and fit minds in strong and healthy bodies
• Develop 'inner resources', self-mastery, self-realization
• Prepare to face the inevitable physical and emotional hardships of life

Wollstonecraft not only put forward her broad philosophical arguments, she also suggested a
specific plan for national education. She proposed that children be sent to free day schools as
well as given some education at home." She also proposed that schooling should be
co-educational, contending that men and women, whose marriages are "the cement of society."
should be "educated after the same model." She favoured lessons given by informal
conversational methods, with lots of physical exercise, both free and organized. She wanted
men and women to not only to receive identical educations, but to be educated together. She
had a picture of an ideal family where the babies were nourished by an intelligent mother and
not sent away to nurses and then to boarding school and fathers were friends to their children
rather than tyrants. She argued in favour of rational education for women. She suggests that
both women and men should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded
on reason. She emphasized the education of women so that, like man, she may exercise
reason and virtues. Wollstonecraft believed education could be the salvation of women. She
insisted women should be taught serious subjects like reading, writing, arithmetic, botany,
natural history, and moral philosophy. Each student has unique abilities and talent. Hence,
personalized attention based on individual talent, abilities, and aptitude. Students could choose
their punishments for non-performance. This would develop sense of justice and self-governing
in them.

MODERNITY
Both philosophers were products of the Enlightenment and critiqued their contemporary society.

Views of Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau had a complex relationship with the concept of modernity, which he
often viewed through a lens of skepticism and critique. In his seminal work, “Discourse on the
Arts and Sciences” (1750), Rousseau argued that the progress of the arts and sciences had led
to moral corruption, not improvement. He believed that as societies became more advanced,
they also became more unequal and vice, and artificial inequalities increased. In his later works,
such as "The Social Contract"
(1762), Rousseau explored how modern political institutions could be reformed to recapture the
freedom and equality supposedly enjoyed in the state of nature. His vision of a modern society
involved a direct form of democracy where the general will of the people was sovereign, and the
community played a central role in determining its fate.

Views of Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft, writing later in the century and influenced by the burgeoning feminist
discourse, embraced modernity more optimistically than Rousseau. In her works like "A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792), she argued for the enlightenment of all individuals
through education and rational thinking. Wollstonecraft viewed modernity as an opportunity to
break from traditional roles and constraints, particularly for women, advocating for their full
participation in the modern public sphere. Her embrace of modernity was linked to her belief in
progress, especially regarding the social and moral improvement that could be achieved by
applying reason and virtue.

Analysis: The divergence in their views on modernity is marked by Rousseau's critical nostalgia
versus Wollstonecraft's progressive optimism. Rousseau lamented the corruption brought about
by modern advancements and sought a return to simpler, more egalitarian social structures
modeled after the state of nature. In contrast, Wollstonecraft embraced the possibilities of
modernity to establish new social orders that include equal rights and educational opportunities
for women, thereby enhancing society's overall moral and intellectual faculties.

FAMILY
Both saw the family as a central societal unit and believed that the dynamics within the family
affect the broader societal structure.
Views of Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's views on the family are intricately linked to his ideas about natural
education and the moral development of individuals. Rousseau presents the family as the first
and most important site for the early education and moral development of a child. He sees the
family not just as a biological unit but as a pivotal educational environment that shapes the
child's character and values.
Rousseau idealizes the traditional family structure, where mothers are primarily responsible for
the care of young children, emphasizing the natural bond and influence mothers have over their
offspring's early development. He argues that this natural education should be shielded from the
corrupting influences of society and should focus on developing the child's physical and moral
strengths in alignment with nature.

Views of Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft, on the other hand, challenges traditional family roles that subjugate women
and limit their potential both within the family and in society at large. She argues for a
reformation of the family structure to allow women to assume a more equal role in both the
private and public spheres. Wollstonecraft criticizes the prevailing educational norms that teach
women to be subservient and purely domestic, advocating instead for educational opportunities
that prepare women to be both intellectually and morally the equals of men. Wollstonecraft
envisions the family not just as a reproductive unit but as a mutual partnership between men
and women where both parents are involved in the education and moral development of their
children. This reformed family model aims to foster a more rational and equitable society

Analysis: Rousseau and Wollstonecraft's views on the family reflect their broader philosophical
perspectives. Rousseau sees the family as a fundamental and natural institution that needs
protection from the corrupt influences of modern society, whereas Wollstonecraft views the
traditional family as a site of gender inequality that must be reformed to achieve a more rational
and equitable society. This contrast highlights a fundamental clash between Rousseau's more
conservative view on the family as a refuge from societal corruption and Wollstonecraft's
progressive vision of the family as a starting point for societal reform and gender equality.

STATE
Both theorists believed in the social contract as a foundational concept for the state, advocating
that political structures are based on agreements among individuals to form societies.

Views of Rousseau
Rousseau's view of the state is deeply intertwined with his philosophical inquiries into the nature
of social contracts and general will. Rousseau argues that a legitimate political order can only
emerge from what he calls a "social contract" agreed upon by all citizens for their mutual
preservation. He believes in a direct form of democracy in which the "general will" of the
populace dictates the laws and direction of the state. Rousseau is critical of inequalities that
arise in modern states due to private property and uneven distributions of power. He sees the
state's role as a mediator that should work to eliminate social and economic inequalities and
promote civic freedom and moral equality. His ideal state involves citizens who are directly
involved in the legislative process and are motivated by a common concern for the public
welfare.

Views of Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft's views on the state are most prominently articulated in her works, where
she critiques existing political systems that perpetuate inequality, particularly gender inequality.
Wollstonecraft advocates for a state that upholds universal rights and freedoms, emphasizing
the importance of education, legal equality, and political representation. She challenges the
patriarchal structures that restrict women's participation in the state, arguing for women's rights
to education, economic independence, and political engagement. Wollstonecraft envisions a
reformed state where women and men are equal citizens, contributing to the social and political
life of their communities. Her ideas foreshadow modern liberal democracies that emphasize
individual rights and equality before the law.

Analysis: Both Rousseau and Wollstonecraft see the state as a construct that should work
towards the common good and protect the natural rights of its citizens. However, their
conceptions of how this should be achieved and what it entails differ significantly. Rousseau
focuses on the idea of a collective will forming the backbone of the state's laws and governance.
Wollstonecraft, meanwhile, criticizes any form of governance that excludes segments of the
population, particularly women, from participation. She extends the Enlightenment call for rights
and representation to women, emphasizing that the state must reform its legal and educational
systems to ensure equality and justice for all citizens, regardless of gender.
In essence, while Rousseau advocates for a direct democracy rooted in a homogeneous
general will, Wollstonecraft calls for an inclusive, representative democracy that recognizes and
rectifies historical injustices and gender inequalities.