Quote by Olympe de Gouges: “The arbitrary rule of man must be destroyed, and reason should guide the world.”

De Gouges calls for an end to patriarchal authority, advocating for a society governed by logical thought rather than male dominance. She believes reason, not arbitrary power, should shape humanity's future.

Writing during the Enlightenment and French Revolution, De Gouges applied the era's emphasis on reason and individual rights to women. She challenged the prevailing social order where men's rule was considered natural, advocating for a more rational foundation.

French political activist and playwright who wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen in 1791, directly challenging the exclusion of women from the rights proclaimed by the French Revolution. She was guillotined in 1793 for her political writings.