Essay - The Essence of a Woman: an Epistemological Programme of Mastery...

The Essence of a Woman: An Epistemological Programme of Mastery

Introduction:

The philosophical discussion of the nature of the female mind and specifically the epistemology ***** women has been universally debated for as long as there has been recorded words. What is the nature of God? ***** then: What ***** the ***** of Man? followed shortly ***** after by: What is the nature of Woman?

***** is not a secret that most ***** ***** first recorded philosophers were men, in fact this is even true today. To many ***** qualifies as the reason ***** the *****herent misogyny associated with epistemology and its relationship to women.

Without the insight of women, which was voiced by many but ***** not always well known, the internal workings of ***** mind of a woman is simply a mystery ***** with the proprietary circumstances of her allowable voice. It is within the context of the late 18th century that we begin to see the real voices of feminists speak out against the stifling assumptions of their lives and minds.

The education ***** women has therefore historically been based upon the idea ***** society is better served by ***** embracing her true nature, in the sense of her non-aggressive and nurtur*****g characteristics. The essence of woman, or that which makes ***** different and to many opposite man, required an attainment of knowledge that was restricted to her role as dutiful wife ***** her master. For many if ***** all feminists the ***** basic necessity for ***** and ***** her ***** ***** to be able ***** fully *****ize her ability through the ***** of equal education and knowledge, an education that went far beyond ***** of Sophie, the docile pleasing support staff, in Rousseau's Emile.

Though t*****e are those who def*****itely came before her, namely Christine de Piz***** in the very early renaissance, Mary Wollstonecraft, is thought of as the mother of the fem*****ist *****mands of equal education. *****, chided men, society and women for allowing women to continue to leave *****ir abilities unrealized through trifling education that only left her with enough knowledge to serve ***** family ***** engender romantic thoughts.

Proposal:

This work will establish ***** the analysis of a keys*****ne of feminist and some would say anti-feminist *****, a demonstration of the understanding of the epistemological programme of *****y. The work will develop a line of thought th*****t demonstrates the evolution ***** the idea of female knowledge, first through ***** of the main works associated with ***** early demands for equal ********** attainment and ***** through some modern *****s associated with the concepts of feminism and philosophy.

*****:

First ***** a careful analysis the work of Rousseau, ***** as it pertains to the development of the ***** mind, and ***** limitations. *****n, on ***** ***** work of Mary Wollstonecraft, who eloquently establishes the idea of the shortcomings of the accepted "female" education in Vindication ***** the Rights of Women. Next, ***** ***** of what some would call a modern feminist, Simone de Be*****uvoir who