Wise Women: Mary Astell episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 26, 2025 · 11 MIN

Wise Women: Mary Astell

from Philosophy Talk Starters · host Philosophy Talk Starters

More at https://philosophytalk.org/shows/mary-astell.Mary Astell (1666–1731) was an English philosopher and writer who advocated for equal rights for women. While she described marriage as a type of “slavery,” she was also a staunch conservative who claimed that women who did marry should accept subordination to their husbands. So what was Astell’s vision for the education of women? How did she reconcile her seemingly conflicting views on marriage? And why did philosopher John Locke criticize her views on natural law? Josh and Ray explore her life and thought with Allauren Forbes from McMaster University, author of the Oxford Bibliography on Mary Astell.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 26, 2025

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Wise Women: Mary Astell

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