Quote by Mary Astell: “Ignorance and a narrow education lay the foundation of vice.”

Astell argues that a lack of proper education and intellectual development can lead to moral failings. She asserts that without robust mental training, individuals are more prone to undesirable behaviors, emphasizing the critical role of comprehensive learning in fostering virtue and good character.

In late 17th century England, women's education was largely neglected, prompting Astell to argue that proper learning was crucial for moral development.

English philosopher and proto-feminist writer who argued for women's education and rational equality nearly a century before Wollstonecraft. Her 1694 work A Serious Proposal to the Ladies advocated for women's colleges and challenged the assumption that women were intellectually inferior.