20 Facts About Mary Astell

Mary Astell was an English protofeminist writer, philosopher, and rhetorician.

Mary Astell's was born, she died; she owned a small house for some years; she kept a bank account; she helped to open a charity school in Chelsea: these facts the public listings can supply.

Mary Astell provided financial support and an introduction to her future publisher; Astell later dedicated a collection of poetry to him.

Mary Astell's was one of the first English women, following Bathsua Makin, to advocate the idea that women were just as rational as men, and just as deserving of education.

Mary Astell argues that education will help women to make better matrimonial choices and meet the challenges of the married state: "She has need of a strong Reason, of a truly Christian and well-temper'd Spirit, of all the Assistance the best Education can give her, and ought to have some good assurance of her own Firmness and Vertue, who ventures on such a Trial".

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Mary Astell's withdrew from public life in 1709 to become head of a charity school for girls in Chelsea, funded by two wealthy philanthropists, Lady Catherine Jones and Lady Elizabeth Hastings.

When she was 60 years old, Mary Astell went to live with Lady Catherine Jones, with whom she resided until her death in 1731.

Mary Astell died in London a few months after a mastectomy to remove a cancerous right breast.

Mary Astell is remembered for her ability to debate freely with both contemporary men and women, and particularly for her groundbreaking methods of negotiating the position of women in society by engaging in philosophical debate rather than basing her arguments in historical evidence as had previously been attempted.

Mary Astell's suggests extending women's career options beyond mother and nun.

Mary Astell's felt uneducated women were concerned with beauty and vanity, and this lack of education was the root of their inferiority to men, not that they were naturally inferior.

Mary Astell wanted all women to have the same opportunity as men to spend eternity in heaven with God, and she believed that for this they needed to be educated and to understand their experiences.

Mary Astell's broke away from the contemporary rhetorical style of the period where orators spoke before an audience for learning, and instead offered a conversational style of teaching "neighbours" the proper way of behaviour.

Mary Astell's referred only to the Port-Royal Logic as a source of contemporary influence, though still relied upon classical rhetorical theories as she presented her own original ideas.

Contrary to Aristotle, Mary Astell contends that authentic virtuous friendship arose from the Divine Nature of God, thus becoming spiritual friendship.

Mary Astell's felt the world was so corrupt because of being under male dominance that women should receive an education free of male influence.

Mary Astell argued that women should receive an education equal to men and should be able to refrain from marrying if they so desire.

Mary Astell makes jabs at John Locke critiquing An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and The Reasonableness of Christianity, along with other works she regards as deist or Socinian.

In sections 2 and 3 of The Christian Religion, Mary Astell focused on "Duty to God" and "Duty to Our Neighbour, " Mary Astell presents all humans 'are brethren' and sinful pride leads us to treat others as 'creatures of a different species.

Mary Astell's had idealised King Charles I and viewed his successors, William and Mary, as "illegitimate" rulers to the throne of England.