Wollstonecraft, moral universalism, and gender discrimination

1. Since ancient times, compared to me, women have been regarded as the vulnerable groups. As a matter of fact, the formation of the view owes to the oldest production models to a large degree. There is no doubt that the stage when human beings are struggling for a living when food and living environment become the most important factors in our life, the physical advantages of male did help a lot in surviving at that time. To the contrary, women who are physically weak can only be the accessorial power, receiving tasks like cooking, sewing, and bearing. As time went by, when society is formed among human beings, the main problem also upgraded to some degree, basic necessities of life occupied most of the people’s life. Since then, women are “locked” to the same and small place for many generations – kitchen. The stage is also when literature develops universally, the male power also limits female to a dead zone in literature and gives the woman a name of “ accessory”. However, the advanced views and comparatively enlightened social morality influences some prominent female figures at that time, starting an eventful period for feminist movements in both of literature and politics. During years of resist and struggle, the woman did win some impressive achievement. For instance, Feminism's development closely follows the progress of the industrial revolutions, each period of industrial revolution brings with a leap-forward development of the feminist movement. At the end of the 19th century, the feminist movement is followed by the first industrial revolution; in 1869, the AWSA came into being. In the early 20th century, feminist movements widely implemented in Europe and North America during the second industrial revolution; in 1914, Famous feminist movement broke out in London, feminists hit Buckingham Palace and presented a petition King George v, which led the feminist movement to a period of rapid development. Through the long period of struggling we can see the serious and less optimistic situation about women, in other words, gender discrimination widely and stubbornly exists and appears as one of the global issues for many years.

For one thing, moral universalism as a major ethnic problem also claims the wrong conception about gender discrimination. Moral universalism is the meta-ethical position, defines that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for "all similarly situated individuals", regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or any other distinguishing feature. (Chris) From the definition, we can see that moral universalism emphasizes the equal right. On the one hand, moral universalism classified the issue to ethnic filed, the ethnic problem influence most of the developing stage of human society, it is also the purest and powerful motivation in people’s heart of being well and kind, which influences the whole general mood of society. On the other hand, moral universalism also emphasizes the important of equal right and distribution. “Sex” belongs to one of the normal distinguishing features and becomes one of the necessary features in moral universalism. It means human beings should admit and share all the weakness without prejudice. Otherwise, there always exist inequity. For instance, if there is a man (whose sex seems to be superior to women) with the identity of the black (whose race seems to be inferior to white people), there is a reason to discriminate him. Alternatively, if there is a woman (whose sex seems to be inferior to men) who has the homosexual tendency (whose choice seems to be inferior to normal sexual orientation), there will be more reasons to discriminate her. Therefore, moral universalism has the significant meaning for equal rights and human development, which can make sure everyone shares the same rights regardless of all the external factors. That is also why the gender discrimination becomes one of the main global issues for many years.

Among all the philosophers who devote to solve global issues, Mary Wollstonecraft supports her view on being opposed to gender discrimination well through her work – Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft’s said “Whilst they are absolutely dependent on their husbands they will be cunning, mean, and selfish, and the men who can be gratified by the fawning fondness of spaniel-like affection, have not much delicacy, for love is not to be bought, in any sense of the words, its silken wings are instantly shrivelled up when anything besides a return in kind is sought.” (Wollstonecraft) In this way, she emphasized about women’s condition mentally and got the conclusion that the release and freedom of women will help them get away with the cunning, mean, and selfish image. At the same time they gain the happiness themselves, it helps them create a harmonious family atmosphere, which can also help with the harmonious social atmosphere. On the other hand, just like the title of the chapter – Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society. Wollstonecraft wrote down the serious consequences which are caused by the improper and unfair treat to woman, in other words, if there are more proper and fair rules and compassion to women, the female group can do much more favor to society, just like Wollstonecraft said “ Business of various kinds, they might likewise pursue if they were educated in a more orderly manner, which might save many from common and legal prostitution. Women would not then marry for a support, as men accept of places under government, and neglect the implied duties; nor would an attempt to earn their own subsistence, a most laudable one!” (Wollstonecraft). all in all, when our society calls the shots to gender discrimination, there is the price and damage waiting for it.

For another, the issue of gender discrimination also has the close connection with the Declaration of the Rights of Man. For progressives, it goes against some of the items in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. For instance, from the very beginning, in the first item, it claims that “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.” In the item, the declaration emphasizes the equal right from everyone’s birth, no matter he or she is a man or woman, he or she deserve the same treat without gender prejudice. What’s more, the declaration makes it clear that the general good is the only feature of distinguishing social status instead of gender. What’s more, in the second item, it claims that “The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” Freedom, property, and the resistance are things that woman never legally have. However, they are regarded as legal in the declaration, which means women’s right is protected legally since then, the gender discrimination goes against the declaration again. Thirdly, in the fourth item, it claims that “Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence, the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.” Here claim the right that everyone shares equally, which caters to the feminist movement that fighting for political votes. In this way, the declaration emphasizes the importance of equality of men and women.

2. Although the society and economy rapid develops, the issue of gender discrimination also exists in our life. After all, the deep-rooted conception is not easy to change. For one thing, men’s physically advantages always work well for the society in some fields. For another, the extraordinary achievements men have ever made through the thousands of years is not easy to be replaced. However, there are so many consequences for the gender discrimination. For instance, in the educational field, lots of literary works remains the conception of gender discrimination. It is not a bad thing to teach children to praise and learn from the male power and heroes. However, it is definitely a bad guide for children by giving them the direct-viewing impression about the weak and incompetence of woman. After all, at the age children receives the education they do not have the ability to judge and distinguish what is wrong and what is right, they accept what they are taught and believe in what they learn from the literature at the very beginning. As a result, gender discrimination can be easily implanted in their head. The education is the basic of a country and children are the future of the better society, if they are unconsciously influenced by gender discrimination, the country will educate a group of arrogant men and lose a group of outstanding women.