A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, for the Advancement of Their True and Greatest

Astell, Mary, 1668-1731Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2

Word count: 370K words
Chapters: 37

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A serious proposal to the Ladies, for the advancement of their true and greatestAuthor: Astell, Mary, 1668-1731,Language: English, Class: HQ: Social sciences: The family, Marriage, Sex and Gender, Release Date: Jun 26, 2017

Editor's review

Mary Astell was an important English woman thinker of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. A Serious Proposal to the Ladies discusses, in clear and earnest argument, how women may improve themselves through education and rational cultivation. Its value lies not in plot or lyricism but in its early argument, made from women's own standpoint, for the significance of knowledge, religion, and moral education to women, and in its vision of a space where women might study together and support one another. The language carries the religious polemical coloring of its age, and the argument is clearly structured; it suits readers interested in the history of women's thought, the history of education, and the origins of early feminism. Reading it requires placing it in the social and religious context of late seventeenth-century England, and understanding both the limits and the breakthroughs of its claims. General readers may enter through key chapters rather than pressing sentence by sentence from beginning to end.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early feminist thought and the history of women's writing
Students of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century English educational and religious thought
English majors seeking to broaden their reading of English public-domain books
General readers who enjoy argumentative texts and are willing to read slowly and reflect

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting fiction or light entertainment
Readers impatient with religious polemic and early modern English expression
Those who want only an overview of contemporary feminist theory and are unwilling to read primary texts

Reading tips

Read the introduction or preface first to grasp the religious and historical context of Astell's writing, then enter the main text.
Read closely the chapters on women's education and collective study, and skim the rest.
Keep pen and paper at hand to trace the chain of argument and distinguish religious from social reasons.
Take reading notes comparing it with contemporary issues in women's education, but avoid facile analogies.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel?

No. It is an argumentative work that discusses women's education and self-improvement through advice and reasoning, and it bears the stylistic marks of late seventeenth-century English religious controversy. It should be read as a work of thought, not as narrative.

Why is it said to be related to feminism?

Astell argues, from women's own situation, that women should receive rational and moral education, and she envisions a space for women to study together. This was a breakthrough in its time, and the work is therefore often discussed within the history of early women's thought; but its arguments remain deeply shaped by a religious framework and must be understood historically.

Is the original English difficult to read?

It is moderately to considerably difficult. Sentences are long, religious vocabulary and early modern English expressions are frequent, and the mode of argument differs from the contemporary essay. It is advisable to read a modern introduction or background material first, then proceed chapter by chapter, breaking down long sentences into their main clauses.

Is it suitable for classroom discussion?

Yes. The text has clear theses and a clear structure, making it easy to organize discussion around themes such as women's education, religion, and reason. Teachers should, however, supply historical background to help students understand the period limitations and intellectual value of its claims.

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About the author

Astell, Mary, 1668-1731 Author

Mary Astell (1668–1731) was an important figure in early English feminist thought. Public information about the details of her life is limited, yet her writings left a clear mark on issues of women's education and social standing. The collection here includes her work A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, for the Advancement of Their True and Greatest Interest. In an earnest and rational tone, the book argues for giving women systematic education and opportunities for intellectual improvement, so that they may develop reason and cultivate virtue rather than merely catering to society's shallow expectations of women. Astell's writing style combines argumentative force with moral concern; her language is dignified and logically clear, and she draws on religion and reason to justify women's access to education. Her ideas prompted discussion in English society about women's intellectual capacities and provided early resources for later feminist thought. Although only one work is held here, it shows that she regarded women's education as the key path to advancing their true interests, and her arguments are pioneering in the history of women's thought.