Mary Wollstonecraft states that “if but one being was created with vicious inclinations, that is positively bad, what can save us from atheism? or if we worship a God, is not that God a devil? During that time period this was a very scandalous remark for anyone to say because religion was such a strong factor in peoples lives; but because she is a woman, this becomes even more controversial. She is challenging the very central religious fabric of peoples’ lives. Women were merely meant to be home makers, not to make social commentaries that might foment any type of disobedience in society. By challenging God she challenges the entire social order, therefore trying to open the worlds eyes to the injustices of it.
Later, we see how the Enlightenment plays a role in Wollstonecraft’s revelation. “…it is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason.” Wollstonecraft takes reasoning that Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau mention, and then expands upon their own ideas so that women are equal to men and deserve the same rights. She first objects to religious beliefs, then relies on the reasoning of the Enlightenment to get her point across to society.
