ISSN2320-2882
Impact Factor9.17
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CrossRefDOI
ESTD2013
Peer ReviewTransparent
AccessOpen
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Paper Title
A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought
Authors
Dr.Aditi Sharma
Keywords
Enlightenment, Woman Question, Gender Inequality, Patriarchy, Rousseau ,Kant
Abstract
Abstract: This paper investigates the contradictory relationship between Enlightenment philosophy and the "Woman Question" by conducting a critical analysis of the writings of Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Although the Enlightenment promoted the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, it concurrently upheld gender hierarchies that confined women to the private and domestic realms. Through a meticulous examination of significant philosophical texts, the paper uncovers the inherent contradictions present in Enlightenment discourse, especially regarding the exclusion of women from the universalist concepts of reason and citizenship. Kant's differentiation between public and private domains, along with his rationale for women's dependency, and Rousseau's gender-specific educational framework in Emile, illustrate a continual support for patriarchal norms disguised as natural differences. Conversely, Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman stands out as a revolutionary challenge to these beliefs, advocating for women's rational and educational equality. By placing these discussions within the wider intellectual and historical landscape of the Enlightenment, the paper contends that feminist discourse both originated from and opposed Enlightenment ideology. In conclusion, it emphasizes how the purported universal tenets of the Enlightenment were profoundly gendered, exposing a significant tension between its liberating assertions and its exclusionary practices.
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IJCRT — journal style
"A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought", IJCRT - International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (www.ijcrt.org), ISSN:2320-2882, Vol.14, Issue 4, page no.c333-c338, April 2026, Available :https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2604280.pdf
APA — 7th edition
Sharma, D. A. (2026). A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 14(4), c333-c338. https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
MLA — 9th edition
Sharma, Dr.Aditi. "A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought." International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, vol. 14, no. 4, 2026, pp. c333-c338, https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710.
Chicago — 17th, bibliography
Sharma, Dr.Aditi. "A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought." International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts 14, no. 4 (2026): c333-c338. https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710.
Harvard — author–date
Sharma, D.A. (2026) 'A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought', International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 14(4), pp. c333-c338. Available at: https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
IEEE — numbered reference
D. A. Sharma, "A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought," IJCRT, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. c333-c338, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710.
Vancouver — biomedical
Sharma DA. A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought. IJCRT. 2026 Apr;14(4):c333-c338. doi: 10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
AMA — 11th edition
Sharma DA. A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought. IJCRT. 2026;14(4):c333-c338. doi:10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
BibTeX — Zotero, Mendeley, LaTeX
@article{IJCRT2604280,
author = {Dr.Aditi Sharma},
title = {A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought},
journal = {International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {c333-c338},
year = {2026},
month = {April},
issn = {2320-2882},
doi = {10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710},
url = {https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710}
}
RIS — EndNote, RefWorks
TY - JOUR
AU - Sharma, Dr.Aditi
TI - A Critical Analysis of Women's Position in Enlightenment Thought
T2 - International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts
JA - IJCRT
VL - 14
IS - 4
PY - 2026
SN - 2320-2882
DO - 10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
UR - https://doi.org/10.56975/ijcrt.v14i4.304710
SP - c333-c338
ER -
Issue
Volume 14 Issue 4,
April-2026
Pages : c333-c338
Article Information
- Pages
- c333-c338
- Published
- April 2026
- Registration ID
- IJCRT_304710
- Published Paper ID
- IJCRT2604280
- Research Area
- Medical Science All
- Author Type
- Indian Author
- Location
- Gujarat, Gujarat, India
- Peer Review
- Request Peer Review Report
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 · Open Access
- ISSN & Impact Factor
- 2320-2882 · IF 9.17
- Downloads
- 185
- Permanent Link
- https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2604280
- Published Paper PDF
- https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2604280.pdf
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International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts
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2320-2882
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The authors would like to thank the reviewers and the editorial board of International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts for their careful reading and constructive comments, and all colleagues who supported the preparation of this manuscript.
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