Looking for the best Mary Wollstonecraft quotes to spark your feminist insight and motivation? You’re in the right place. Known as a pioneering voice for women’s rights, Wollstonecraft’s words continue to inspire generations seeking equality, education, and empowerment. In this collection, we’ve gathered the best Mary Wollstonecraft quotes that reflect her brilliant mind and bold vision for a fairer world. Whether you want thoughtful perspectives for daily reflection or powerful lines to fuel your activism, these timeless quotes reveal the strength and wisdom that made Mary Wollstonecraft an enduring icon of social progress.
🌱 On Equality
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The beginning is always today.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
‘Virtue can only flourish among equals.’
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“I speak universally as a rational creature, claiming, as my natural birthright, the same respect as is granted to men.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“How can women be expected to be content with rational fellow-creatures if they are not allowed to exercise their reason?”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Men and women must be educated, in a great degree, by the opinions and manners of the society they live in.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Make them free, and they will quickly become wise and virtuous.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The mind will ever be unstable that has only prejudices to rest on.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
🧠 On Reason & Education
“Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Taught from infancy that beauty is woman’s sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Independence I have long considered as the grand blessing of life, the basis of every virtue.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The instruction which women have hitherto received has only tended, with a few exceptions, to render them insignificant objects of desire.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Contending for the rights of women, my main argument is built on this simple principle; that if she be not prepared by education to become the companion of man, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The mind, strengthened and improved by cultivation, will not be able to exercise its powers if unkindly held down by controlling restrictions.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Without knowledge there can be no morality.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Blind submission is but another name for slavery.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
‘Suffer any man or woman possessed of common sense to read their own character, and they will not be in haste to learn by heart the lessons of servility.’
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Reason is, individually, the governor of our conduct.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
🔥 On Freedom & Independence
“I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists — I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Liberty is the mother of virtue.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Freedom can only be attained by women when her mind is liberated from the shackles of ignorance and prejudice.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are, in some degree, independent of men.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“When we are loved, we possess an equality with the object of our affection.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Darling child, the ties which bind us to life are lighter than those that draw us towards freedom.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Slavery to habit is not to be altogether thrown aside, but it must be kept under the control of reason.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
‘If women are not permitted to enjoy a rational freedom, they will never feel the real blessings of existence.’
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“If the attributes of God are justice and mercy, those qualities together form perfect liberty.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
💪 On Virtue & Strength
“True strength consists in being firm and constant in our pursuits.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“It is impossible that virtue can flourish in a climate of dependence and servility.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees the others.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“To love with passion and to reason with strength is to be truly human.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Virtue must be nursed by liberty.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
‘Women must be taught to respect themselves as human beings, not as subordinate creatures.’
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“The man who can be contented to live purely to indulge his appetites is not of the kind whom I think worthy of emulation.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Affection is a habit formed by the imagination acting on the senses.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Self-respect is the corner-stone of all virtue.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
🌸 On Women’s Place in Society
“Women are in general too sentimental and their social prejudices overpower their generous feelings.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Happy is it when people fulfil rather than anticipate the duties of their station like rational creatures.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“If women be educated for dependence, that is, to act according to the will of another fallible being, and submit, right or wrong, to power, where are we to stop?”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“To be a good mother — a woman must have sense, and that independence of mind which few women possess, who are not British subjects.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Women, in particular, are often ruined by their sensibility, and neglect the duties of their station for some vain gratification.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
‘Society, which ought to cherish the germ of virtue, has in general no other aim but to render women pleasing.’
— Mary Wollstonecraft
“Genteel women are often slaves to opinion.”
— Mary Wollstonecraft
We hope this collection of the best Mary Wollstonecraft quotes has sparked new insights and inspired you to reflect on the ongoing struggle for equality and women’s rights. As you consider her powerful words, remember the courage it takes to stand up for change and envision a more just world. Share these quotes with those who crave inspiration, and let Mary Wollstonecraft’s voice continue to encourage open minds and hearts. Thank you for joining us on this exploration of feminist wisdom!
About Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was a pioneering British writer, philosopher, and advocate for women’s rights, best known for her influential work “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” Living during the Enlightenment, Wollstonecraft challenged traditional societal views about women’s roles, arguing passionately for equal education and opportunities for both sexes. Her writings laid the foundation for modern feminist thought and inspired countless activists around the world. Despite facing personal adversity and societal pushback, Mary Wollstonecraft’s intellect, courage, and belief in justice left a lasting legacy. Her ideas continue to resonate with those striving for gender equality today.
