mary-wollstonecraft

[mary-wollstonecraft]

How can the truth be known? What does it mean to know something?

Such a great way to start the conversation!

This is a tricky question. It can be hard to know the truth for sure, and to be sure of what you know. If we are happy to live for the present and nothing more, everything that we are faced with seems "good enough" in a sense. We can easily be content with our current state of knowledge and are then at risk of being blinded from our potential to go further, to seek out the truth and the reason for truth.

Truth, and the knowledge of truth, is reason that is able to be demonstrated. A person who has truth, has reason, and is able to defend this truth by separating it clearly from opinion. As well, knowledge should not be taken as truth simply because it is what our past ancestors have known, or the heads of our governments have claimed. Truth should be able to be converted to simple reason, as reason is the at the heart of what makes us human. (Wollstonecraft, 1790)

[mary-wollstonecraft]

What does it mean to be human? What is the nature of a child?

I love this question!

First, all I have to say is this: to be human is to have reason. Next question!

Just kidding - let me elaborate. By "reason", I mean that we are set apart from other animals by our ability and drive to be rational. As human's, we are constantly attempting to further perfect our rationality: this is why we have societies and laws, why we educate ourselves and our children, and we pursue further education. All this to perfect our sense of rationality and morality, to edit our own natures so that we align with our societal reasoning.

When we look at the nature of children, we see that children are all capable of being educated and molded into intelligent, proper civilians, even our girls. A child is more gentle and affectionate, until parents or private schooling spoils their personality and abilities by either turning them spoiled or vicious and selfish, specifically boys. With a proper day schooling that addresses all of the needs within the child, they will grow into proper citizens that further improve their society. (Wollstonecraft, 1792)

[mary-wollstonecraft]

What is the purpose of education?

What a great question!

I believe that the purpose of education is to ensure that our children grow into proper, good members of society. In order for education to do this, the heart and softness of a child should be grown as much as the intellect is: we must cultivate the students' affections for other people. Citizens should have a capacity for empathy and selflessness, while still knowing how to understand the world and advocate for both themselves and others.

As well, education should provide children an independence from their parents, and allow them to navigate their own opinions separated from their family. In this way, children should be able to think critically for themselves and even be able to go against the opinions of their parents, if they so believe it appropriate.

At the moment, education is closed off from our girls, preventing them from gaining their strength of mind, body and understanding that they are capable of. In the same vein, our boys are graduating our of schools with a meanness and violence inside of them that prevents them from being forward thinking and gentle. (Wollstonecraft, 1792)

I hope that, in the future, my writings and advocacy will change this.

[mary-wollstonecraft]

What is the ideal curriculum, and the roles of teacher and learner?

Thank you for the question! I believe that education should be something that is given equally to both our boys and our girls. Not only that, but both genders should be taught together, at the same pace, and their education should not be segregated. The curriculum should be focused not just on the mind, in making students intellectually strong, but on the body as well. A curriculum that nurtures independence and affection, allowing children to grow their heart so that their mind is able to become stronger in turn is what we need in education.

As for the role of the teacher, a good school teacher is able to ensure that the mind, the body, and the understanding of a child all grows and is strengthened during day school hours. This allows children to flourish into proper civilians who have the capacity to emphasize, think critically, be gentil, and have a great understanding of the civil world.

For the final part of your question, a learner should have a sense of independence and focus on their curriculum. The goal for the learner is to truly understand what they are being taught, as opposed to memorizing and reciting knowledge, as this prevents a learner's sense of understanding from properly developing.

All of this properly together should provide a well rounded education and prevent the outcome that we often see when our children grow into adulthood - our boys become harsh and selfish, while our girls come meek and unable to advocate for themselves. (Wollstonecraft, 1792)

[mary-wollstonecraft]

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, November 25). Mary Wollstonecraft. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft

Wollstonecraft, M. (1790). A Vindication of the Rights of Men. J. Johnson.

Wollstonecraft, M. (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. J. Johnson.