What concept did Mary Wollstonecraft challenge in her writings?

Prepare for the AP World History Exam with comprehensive questions and flashcards. Tackle multiple-choice questions and detailed explanations to enhance your understanding. Ace your exam!

Mary Wollstonecraft challenged the supremacy of men in social order through her seminal work, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman." In this book, she argued for the equality of women and advocated for their right to education and participation in society, highlighting the need for women to be recognized as rational beings, capable of contributing to society on an equal footing with men.

Wollstonecraft's writings provided a philosophical framework that contested the prevailing notions of her time, which relegated women to subordinate roles and justified their exclusion from public life and intellectual pursuits. By emphasizing that women were not inherently inferior to men but rather lacked access to education and opportunities, she laid the groundwork for future feminist movements.

The other options—such as the divine right of kings, the necessity of marriage for women, and the importance of religious faith in governance—do not encapsulate Wollstonecraft's primary focus, which was on advocating for women's rights in a patriarchal society. Her challenge to the dominance of men directly contributed to the early discourse on gender equality.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy