Authority Quote by Mary Wollstonecraft
“The being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Rights of Women, 1792
True rationality follows reason, not blind obedience to authority.
In simple terms: Think for yourself, not follow orders.
Key Takeaway
Question authority, follow reason.
Themes
reason
autonomy
authority
virtue
Mood
critical
empowering
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- education
- political activism
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
philosophy
political theory
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- When is obedience justified?
- How do you balance reason and tradition?
A Different Perspective
Authority can provide stability.
![“If children are to be educated to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot [...]” quote by Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f78/mary-wollstonecraft-1568_children_if-children-are-to-be-educated-to-unders_78752.jpg)
![“I wish to show that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a character as a human being, regardless of the distinction of sex [...]” quote by Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/445/mary-wollstonecraft-1568_beauty_i-wish-to-show-that-elegance-is-inferior_130145.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)