Daniel Defoe was a very surprising man indeed. In his time women were forbidden to receive the higher education that men were priviliged to obtain.
Daniel Defoe wrote sincerely about the idea that women should have an education in such subjects like art, literature or music.
Since in this part of my project I write about Daniel Defoe´s beleifs, who better than himself to explain the reasons of this beleif.
This work is part of the complete list of his hundreds of publications that were never important to his society, and was written even  before he became a goverment tool.
The following is only part of the unabridged article, this means these are the most important phrases o paragraphs which reflect the main points of this piece of work.
To see the whole text go to this web-site:

I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women.We reproach the sex every day with folly and impertinence; while I am confident, had they the advantages of education equal to us, they would be guilty of less than ourselves.

One would wonder, indeed, how it should happen that women are conversible at all, since they are only beholding to natural parts, for all their knowledge. Their youth is spent to teach them to stitch and sew or make baubles. They are taught to read, indeed, and perhaps to write their names, or so; and that is the height of a woman´s education.

The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond; and must be polished, or the lustre of it will never appear. And ´tis manifest, that as the rational soul distinguishes us from brutes; so education carries on the distinction, and makes some less british than others. This is to evident to need any demostration. But why then should women be denied the benefit of instruction? If knowledge and understanding had been useless additions to the sex, God Almighty would have never given them capacities; for he made nothing needless.

Defoe wonders: What can they see in ignorance, that they should think it´s a neccesary ornament to a women?, or how much worse is a wise woman than a fool?, or what has the woman done to forfeit the privilege of being taught?Does she plague us with her pride and impertinence?Why did we not let her learn, that she might have had more wit? Shall we upbraid women with ´tis only the error of this inhuman custom, that hindered them from being made wiser?

The capacities of women are supposed to be greater, and their senses quicker than those of men, which upbraids us with Injustice, and looks as if we denied women the advantages of education, for fear they should vie with the men in their improvements…

They should be taught all sorts of breeding suitable both to their genius and quality. And, in particular, Music and Dancing, But besides this, they should be taught languages; as particulary French and Italian.
They sould, as in particulary study, be taught all the graces of speech, and all the necessary air of conversation; which our common education is so defective in, that I need not expose it. They should be brought to read books, and especially history, and so to read as to make them understand the world, and be able to know and judge of things when they hear of them.

Women, in my observation, have little or no difference in them, but as they are or are not distinguished by education. Tempers, indeed, may in some degrees influence them, but the main distinguishing part is their Breeding.

The whole sex are generally quick nad sharp.
If a woman be well bred, and taught the proper management of her natural wit, she proves generally very sensible andretentive.
And, without partiality, a woman of sense and manners is the finest and most delicate part of God´s creation.

The following is the most important paragraph (to me), that reflects Defoe´s point of view on the education of women.

A woman well bred and well taught, furnished with the additional accomplishments of knowledge and behaviour, is a creature without comparison. Her society is the emblem of subliment enjoyments, her person is angelic, and her conversation heavinly. She is all softness and sweetness, peace, love, wit and delight. She is every way suitable to the sublimest wish, and the man that has such a one to his portion, has nothing to do but rejoice in her, and be thankful.

But…

On the other hand, Suppose her to be the very same woman, and rob her on the benefit of education, and it follows

If her temper be good, want of education makes her soft and easy.

Her wit, for want of teaching, makes her impertinent and talkative.

Her knowledge, for want of judgement and experience, make her fanciful and whimsical.

If her temper be bad, want of breeding maakes her worse; and she grows haughty, insolent and loud.

If she be passionate,want of manners make her a termagant and a scold, which is much at one with Lunatic.

If she be proud, want of discretion (which still is breeding) makes her conceited, fantastic and ridiculous.

And from these she degenerates to be turbulent, clamorous, noisy, nasty, the devil! …

Defoe didn´t want the woman to go as far as…

Not that I am for exalting the female government in the least: but in short, I would have men take women for companions, and educate them to be fit for it…

I remember a passage, which I heard from a very fine woman. She had wit and capacity enough, an extraordinary shape and face, and a great fortune. Her natural wit made her so sensible of the want of education, that she gave this short reflection on herself: "I am ashamed to talk with my very maids", says she, "for I don´t know when they do right or wrong. I had more need go to school than be married".

Daniel Defoe concludes:

I need not enlarge on the loss the defect education is to the sex; nor argue the benefit of the contrary practice. ´Tis a thing will be more easily granted than remedied. This chapter is but an essay at the thing: and I refer the Practice to those Happy Days ( if ever they shall be) when men shall be wise enough to mend it.

SOURCE: © English essays from Sir Philip Sidney to Macauly. With intrductions and notes.
                 © New York, Collier  {c 1910}, The Harvard Classics v. 27.

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© CATALINA DIAZ BEVERIDGE
© DEFOE AND CRUSOE: ONE MAN, ONE MIND.