Sunday, February 8, 2009

Kathleen A. Ahearn: "How to Cry up Liberty"

Kathleen A. Ahearn
University of Denver

How to “Cry up Liberty”: Mary Astell in Dialogue with Female Dissenters

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The question of "first" feminism is one that usefully perplexes the study of more than one early modern woman writer! According to Hilda Smith, we should not label a historical view feminist unless the writer rejects the existence of physiological or rational reasons for the customary roles of women. I've always thought that Margaret Fell Fox fits this definition, although you are saying that she does view women as "weaker," (counterbalanced by enmity to evil?). Where does Astell fit in Smith's criterion?