ABSTRACT
Mary Wollstonecraft's Rights of Woman laid the foundations of the transformational movement now known as feminism. The basic principles of Rights of Woman have been used to construct a range of arguments and methods that remain important and often controversial. While Rights of Woman may not have the political impact in the future that it has had in the past, it is likely to continue as a significant academic and symbolic text for modern feminists. Wollstonecraft's aim of challenging assumptions and producing radically new ideas of gender is also continuing in work by feminist philosophers like Judith Butler. More widely, feminist ideas will continue to influence public debate and policy in societies around the world. Wollstonecraft articulates her key principles with such logical and emotional force that her most conservative enemies have found it difficult to pose a coherent counterargument—despite neglect of her work, scandal surrounding her life, mockery, and arguments over interpretations and applications.
