Mary Astell

Some Reflections Upon Marriage Mary Astell

The first English feministThe English thinker, Mary Astell (1666-1731) advocacy of equal educational opportunities for women has earned her the title "the first English feminist."
In Some Reflections upon Marriage (1700), She critiques the philosophical underpinnings of the institution of marriage in 1700's England, warning women of the dangers of a hasty or ill-considered choice. Astell argues that education will help women to make better matrimonial choices and meet the challenges of marriage. She is well ahead of her time, stating her case boldly and without remorse in a time where women hid reluctantly in their husband's shadows, having no voice of their own.
If all Men are born free, how is it that all Women are born Slaves? - Mary Astell, Some Reflections upon Marriage