Mary Astell’s Education Project

Abstract

The article presents the figure of the seventeenth-century thinker, Mary Astell. Because of her work as a writer and due to her social activities she has been called „the first English feminist.” Using theological and philosophical arguments she argued that women should be educated. She rejected the widespread opinion which contended women were inherently less intelligent than men. She blamed social determinism and women’s lack of confidence in their own abilities for the lower intellectual achievement of women. She was convinced that the right education using Descartes’ insights could change the situation of women. Unlike other supporters of female education, Astell suggested that women should study for specific professions and thus become independent. Astell appreciated the advantages of education and wanted women to intellectually develop. To achieve this goal a special institution was to set up where women could be educated. This was to be an alternative to the traditional way of life defined by marriage. Astell not only described her educational project, she also tried to put it into practice.