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Mary Astell

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description Mary Astell Overview

Mary Astell was an English philosopher and writer whose works addressed women's education, marriage, religion, and the human capacity for reason. In A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, first published in 1694, she proposed an educational community in which women could cultivate their intellects independently of prevailing social expectations. Her arguments drew on rationalist philosophy and Christian theology, and she is now studied as an important early contributor to feminist thought.

help Mary Astell FAQ

What did Mary Astell propose in A Serious Proposal to the Ladies?

She proposed a women-only educational community where women could improve their minds through study, religious reflection, and disciplined living. Part I appeared in 1694 and Part II in 1697. [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/astell/)

Why is Mary Astell associated with early feminist philosophy?

Astell argued that women have the same capacity for reason as men and used that claim to challenge their limited education. Her case was philosophical as well as social because she drew on Cartesian ideas about the mind and reason. [Cambridge University Press](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/women-philosophers-of-the-seventeenth-century/mary-astell/0938209475591480993608F57C77F19D)

What did Mary Astell write about marriage?

In Some Reflections upon Marriage, published in 1700, she criticized the unequal power built into marriage and urged women to understand the vows they were making. She did not advocate divorce, but she argued that women needed better education and an alternative to a coercive match. [Cambridge Descartes Lexicon](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-descartes-lexicon/astell-mary-16661731/372546574DD54BBFA825A31BDEEF9D43)

How did René Descartes influence Mary Astell?

Astell used Cartesian ideas such as clear and distinct perception while developing her own religious metaphysics. She also engaged with the work of John Norris and Nicolas Malebranche, so her philosophy was an adaptation rather than a simple copy of Descartes. [Cambridge Descartes Lexicon](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-descartes-lexicon/astell-mary-16661731/372546574DD54BBFA825A31BDEEF9D43)