Myobservationsonnationaleducationareobviouslyhints;butI
principallywishtoenforcethenecessityofeducatingthesexestogethertoperfectboth,andofmakingchildrensleepathome,thattheymaylearntolovehome;yettomakeprivatesupportinsteadofsmotheringpublicaffections,theyshouldbesenttoschooltomixwithanumberofequals,foronlybythejostlingsofequalitycanweformajustopinionofourselves。
Torendermankindmorevirtuous,andhappierofcourse,bothsexesmustactfromthesameprinciple;buthowcanthatbeexpectedwhenonlyoneisallowedtoseethereasonablenessofit？Torenderalsothesocialcompacttrulyequitable,andinordertospreadthoseenlighteningprinciples,whichalonecanmelioratethefateofman,womenmustbeallowedtofoundtheirvirtueonknowledge,whichisscarcelypossibleunlesstheybeeducatedbythesamepursuitsasmen。Fortheyarenowmadesoinferiourbyignoranceandlowdesires,asnottodeservetoberankedwiththem;or,bytheserpentinewrigglingsofcunningtheymountthetreeofknowledgeandonlyacquiresufficienttoleadmenastray。
Itisplainfromthehistoryofallnations,thatwomencannotbeconfinedtomerelydomesticpursuits,fortheywillnotfulfilfamilyduties,unlesstheirmindstakeawiderrange,andwhilsttheyarekeptinignorance,theybecomeinthesameproportion,theslavesofpleasureastheyaretheslavesofman。Norcantheybeshutoutofgreatenterprises,thoughthenarrownessoftheirmindsoftenmakethemmarwhattheyareunabletocomprehend。
Thelibertinism,andeventhevirtuesofsuperiormen,willalwaysgivewomen,ofsomedescription,greatpoweroverthem;andtheseweakwomen,undertheinfluenceofchildishpassionsandselfishvanity,willthrowafalselightovertheobjectswhichtheverymenviewwiththeireyes,whooughttoenlightentheirjudgment。