A Serious Proposal to the Ladies

by Mary Astell and Mary Louise Kelly

Book Overview

Throughout her life, in her personal relationships as well as in her role as a public intellectual, the English thinker Mary Astell (1666-1731) supported women, wrote to and for women, and, to the greatest extent possible, moved from advocacy for to action on behalf of women. In her first published work, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies (London 1694), Astell proposed the establishment of an educational institution for women aimed solely at fulfilling...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615954030
• ISBN13: 9780615954035
• Release Date: February 2014
• Publisher: Saltar's Point Press
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Serious Proposal, parts 1 and 2

Mary Astell is one of the first European females to write directly on issues of philosophy, politics, and rhetoric; like other women writers she also writes about religion and morality, as she proposes the foundation of an educational/religious institution for single ladies. This book has complete editions of both books 1 and 2 of Astell's A Serious Proposal to the Ladies (1694, 1697), with facsimiles of the original title pages, extensive footnotes, an excellent introduction, bibliography, and an index at the back. The introduction is an excellent overview of Astell's political and philosophical context. Of particular interest is Springborg's coverage of Astell's debates with John Locke, and Astell's use of Descartes and the Port-Royal Logic. Springborg also draws connections between Astell and Daniel Defoe, Richard Steele, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Samuel Richardson, and others. This book is a must for anyone interested in women's contributions to philosophy, education, religion, or politics in the English enlightenment.