author
Mary Astell
1666–1731
An early English feminist thinker, she argued that women deserved the same serious education as men and wrote boldly about reason, religion, and marriage. Her work still stands out for its clarity, courage, and sharp wit.
3 Audiobooks
Some Reflections Upon Marriage. With additions.
by Mary Astell
An essay in defence of the female sex In which are inserted the characters of a pedant, a squire, a beau, a vertuoso, a poetaster, a city-critick, &c. in a letter to a lady.
by active 1696-1707 Judith Drake, Mary Astell
About the author
Mary Astell was an English writer and philosopher born in Newcastle upon Tyne on November 12, 1666, and she is often remembered as one of the earliest strong voices for women’s education in England. After moving to London as a young woman, she built a life through writing and became part of a circle of learned and religious thinkers.
She is best known for A Serious Proposal to the Ladies and Some Reflections upon Marriage. In these works, she argued that women were rational beings who should be educated seriously, and she questioned the unfair limits placed on them in marriage and society. Her writing joined philosophical argument with religious commitment, which gave her ideas both force and depth.
Astell died on May 11, 1731, but her reputation has grown steadily over time. Today she is read not only as a pioneering advocate for women, but also as an important early modern thinker whose work connects philosophy, ethics, politics, and faith.