Mary Wollstonecraft's Extraordinary Life

Mary Wollstonecraft, a founding mother of feminist philosophy, had an extraordinary life filled with dramatic events and personal tragedies. Born into a patriarchal household with a feckless father, she experienced financial ruin and a lack of education, which shaped her philosophy. Wollstonecraft sought independence and set up a school with her sister, but it failed. She had tumultuous relationships, including an unfaithful lover and a tumultuous marriage. Despite the personal challenges she faced, it is important to acknowledge her as a philosopher in her own right and not reduce her to her circumstances.