In This Assignment You Will Read And Respond To Questions

In This Assignment You Will Read And Respond To Questions On Three S

In this assignment, you will read and respond to questions on three separate primary documents plus write a short essay of approximately 250 words in response to a prompt for each document. The assigned article, Reading and Writing about Primary Sources, will help you grasp the essentials of thinking critically, and writing about primary sources. Be sure to have read it before beginning this assignment.

Due Sunday, 120 points total (40 points per document)

Document 1: “Mary Wollstonecraft criticizes Rousseau’s View of Women” (chapter 17)

Answer questions 1-2 in the introduction: What criticisms does Wollstonecraft direct against Rousseau’s views? Why does Wollstonecraft emphasize a new kind of education for women?

Essay prompt: How does the document reflect eighteenth-century attitudes towards women?

Document 2: “Burke Denounces the Extreme Measures of the French Revolution” (chapter 18)

Answer questions 1-3 in the introduction: To which of the major events in the French Revolution does Burke refer? Why, by 1796, would Burke and others have emphasized the religious policies of the revolution? Did Burke exaggerate the evils of the revolution?

Essay prompt: Speculate why Burke is considered one of the founders of modern conservative political thought.

Document 3: “Women Industrial Workers Explain their Economic Situation” (chapter 21)

Answer questions 1-3 in the introduction: How do these women explain their need to hold manufacturing jobs? What changes in production methods have led women from the home to the factory? How does the situation of these women relate to the possibility of their marrying?

Essay prompt: In your opinion, do the women writers of this document prove they are more than merely passive victims of their lives of industrial hardship? (NOTE: can information from this book be used?)

Reference: Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank Turner and Alison Frank. The Western Heritage: Volume 2. 11th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2013.

Paper For Above instruction

The eighteenth century was a pivotal period characterized by profound shifts in social, political, and intellectual paradigms, especially concerning views on gender roles, revolution, and economic change. The primary documents provided offer diverse perspectives that collectively reflect the era’s complex attitudes and responses to these transformations, especially regarding women and revolutionary upheaval.

Document 1: Wollstonecraft’s Critique of Rousseau and Eighteenth-century Attitudes Toward Women

Mary Wollstonecraft’s critique of Rousseau reveals a fundamental disagreement with his conservative view of women. Rousseau believed women’s primary role was subordinate to men, centered around domesticity and superficial virtues suitable for supporting male authority. Wollstonecraft, however, challenged this notion by advocating for women’s rationality and moral capacity, emphasizing the importance of education not only to empower women but to improve society as a whole. She argued that women should receive a liberal education comparable to men’s, which would enable them to participate more fully in public life and contribute to societal progress.

This document reflects eighteenth-century attitudes towards women as largely restrictive and based on traditional gender roles, with Rousseau exemplifying the prevalent belief in women’s natural inferiority and domestic duty. Wollstonecraft’s perspective signals an emerging challenge to these views, advocating for gender equality in education and social participation. Her emphasis on a new kind of education indicates an early recognition of women’s potential beyond passive homemaking, aligning with Enlightenment ideals of reason and individual rights.

Document 2: Burke’s Opposition to Revolutionary Extremes and Its Reflection of Conservative Thought

Edmund Burke’s denunciation of the French Revolution refers primarily to the radical upheaval and the violent measures undertaken by revolutionary factions, especially the Reign of Terror. By 1796, Burke emphasized the revolution’s religious policies—particularly the suppression of the Catholic Church and religious institutions—as emblematic of its destructive nature. Burke viewed these policies as an attack on social order and tradition, which he believed were essential for societal stability.

Burke’s exaggeration of the revolution’s evils can be understood as part of his conservative critique designed to warn against radical change. His portrayal emphasizes chaos, moral decline, and the breakdown of societal bonds, framing the revolution as a dangerous deviation from rational governance rooted in tradition and religious authority. His critique reflects a broader conservative philosophy that values stability, hierarchy, and respect for existing institutions, and views radical upheaval as likely to produce disorder.

This makes Burke a seminal figure in modern conservative thought, emphasizing values of tradition, skepticism of rapid change, and the importance of moral and religious foundations in governance, principles that continue to influence political thought today.

Document 3: Women Factory Workers and the Social-Economic Changes of the Industrial Revolution

The women interviewed explain their need for factory jobs as driven by economic necessity, often due to the decline of traditional handcraft work and the demands of urban industrial economies. They describe shifts in production methods—such as the mechanization of textile manufacturing—that transformed the workplace from home-based production to large-scale factories, effectively moving women from domestic spheres into industrial labor.

The situation of these women relates to marriage prospects in complex ways. On one hand, factory work provides economic independence, which might challenge traditional marriage arrangements based on financial reliance. On the other hand, economic hardship and the pressures of factory work could hinder marriage stability or delay marriage altogether, reflecting a new social dynamic where women’s economic participation influences family formation.

In my opinion, the women writers demonstrate a degree of agency and resilience in their explanations, signaling that they are not merely passive victims but active participants in a transforming economy. Their descriptions of their economic needs and adaptation to industrial life suggest a conscious effort to navigate and influence their circumstances, although societal structures still constrained their options.

Conclusion

Overall, the primary documents reveal a landscape of shifting ideas about gender, revolution, and economic change. Wollstonecraft’s advocacy underscores burgeoning Enlightenment ideals of equality, Burke’s critique warns against radicalism rooted in tradition, and the women workers’ narratives reflect the profound impact of industrialization on individual lives. Collectively, these texts underline the era’s tensions and the ongoing struggle to reconcile tradition with progress, stability with change, and subjugation with agency.

References

• Burke, E. (1790). Reflections on the Revolution in France.
• Frank, A. (2013). The Western Heritage: Volume 2 (11th ed.). Pearson Education.
• Kagan, D., Ozment, S., Turner, F. (2013). The Western Heritage: Volume 2. Pearson Education.
• Rousseau, J.-J. (1762). Emile, or On Education.
• Wollstonecraft, M. (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
• Camfield, G. (2007). Women in the Industrial Revolution. Journal of Social History.
• Smith, A. (1776). The Wealth of Nations.
• Hobsbawm, E. (1962). The Age of Revolution.
• Friedan, B. (1963). The Feminine Mystique.
• Ashton, T. S. (1948). The Industrial Revolution (1760-1830). Oxford University Press.