Through the ages, philosophers (and arguments between philosophers) have influenced and challenged the culture in which they live, even as they have also been shaped by it, either positively or negatively. This is not unusual – who we are and how we view the world are products of our upbringing and society (among other things), it is simply that most of us tend to keep our views to ourselves or within a small social circle, rather than sharing them with society at large. No doubt this is because we fear the ridicule and criticism we might receive if our views differ from the accepted norm. Certainly, the three philosophers examined here have endured their share of criticism and ridicule, but they are of that peculiar breed that is inclined to press on more doggedly and eloquently in the face of it, or even because of it. Perhaps in order to be a well known philosopher that is a requirement. What follows is a brief description of one historic and two contemporary philosophers – Mary Wollstonecraft, Martha Nussbaum and Peter Singer – whom I find to be particularly interesting.

Mary Wollstonecraft

The second of six children [the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) states seven], Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759. She spent much of her young life moving from place to place with her family as her father tried unsuccessfully to establish himself as a gentleman farmer. Her views on marriage and the treatment of women in her society were no doubt heavily influenced by her father’s alcoholism and abusive treatment of her mother, who died in the spring of 1782. (History Guide, answers.com, SEP) But it was not her family circumstances alone which influenced her philosophies. Wollstonecraft was also strongly influenced by the principles of rationality and equality which were the touchstone of the Age of Enlightenment. (answers.com)

Modern feminists are sometimes wary of granting Wollstonecraft full credit as a feminist theorist because some of her personal conduct seemed contradictory to her views on both reason and equality. However, her Vindication on the Rights of Women, published in 1792, is a powerful work in support of women’s equality and education, and is considered to be the founding document of feminism. (answers.com) Wollstonecraft believed that women are equal to men in their capacity for Reason, that women and men are equally able to acquire knowledge, use good judgment, and make moral decisions for themselves. This was completely contradictor