Early Modern Era:
* Mary Wollstonecraft: In her groundbreaking work "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792), Wollstonecraft argued that women were capable of reason and should be given the same education and opportunities as men.
19th Century:
* John Stuart Mill: Although a man, Mill was a strong advocate for women's rights. In his essay "The Subjection of Women" (1869), Mill argued that women were intellectually equal to men and that their subordination was a product of societal conditioning.
* Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Stanton, a leading figure in the women's suffrage movement, wrote extensively on the intellectual equality of women. Her works include "The Woman's Bible" (1895) and "The Revolution" (a women's rights newspaper she co-founded).
20th Century:
* Simone de Beauvoir: In her influential book "The Second Sex" (1949), de Beauvoir challenged traditional views of women and argued that their intellectual inferiority was a social construct.
* Betty Friedan: Friedan's book "The Feminine Mystique" (1963) critiqued the societal pressure on women to conform to domestic roles and argued that women were capable of achieving intellectual and professional fulfillment.
This is just a small selection of writers who have contributed to the argument for women's intellectual equality. There are many other influential voices throughout history who have made this case, and their work continues to be relevant and important today.