At just 21 years old, Simone de Beauvoir became the youngest person to pass the philosophy exams at one of France’s most prestigious universities. She excelled in her studies, but instead of merely accepting established philosophical ideas, she sought to challenge them. While she was educated in Plato’s Theory of Forms, which views the physical world as an imperfect reflection of higher truths, de Beauvoir found the tangible world to be vibrant and full of life. This fascination with the physical world greatly influenced her philosophy.
Simone de Beauvoir engaged in deep discussions with her partner, Jean-Paul Sartre, about concepts like free will, desire, and the importance of personal experience. After World War II, these discussions evolved into existentialism, a philosophical movement they are closely associated with. Unlike the Judeo-Christian belief that humans have a predetermined purpose, de Beauvoir and Sartre proposed that humans are born free, without any divine plan. De Beauvoir saw this freedom as both a gift and a challenge.
In her work “The Ethics of Ambiguity,” de Beauvoir argued that our main ethical duty is to create our own life’s meaning while respecting others’ freedom to do the same. She famously stated, “A freedom which is interested only in denying freedom must be denied.” This philosophy encourages individuals to navigate the complexities of their desires and the conflicts they create, both internally and externally. De Beauvoir also questioned societal constraints on women, challenging the traditional ideals of womanhood.
Despite her extensive writing and activism, de Beauvoir faced challenges in being recognized by her male peers. She had rejected her Catholic upbringing and societal norms to pursue her education and write about women’s experiences. Her male counterparts often overlooked the risks she took, showing little interest in her work, which explored themes like women’s inner lives and her own open relationship and bisexuality.
To highlight the importance of her perspective, de Beauvoir wrote “The Second Sex,” published in 1949. In this groundbreaking book, she argued that gender, like life’s meaning, is not predetermined. She famously wrote, “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman.” She described the process of “Othering,” where women are labeled as less than men, who are seen as the ideal human subjects. As the “Other,” women were often restricted from pursuing their freedom.
“The Second Sex” became a foundational feminist text, offering a detailed history of women’s oppression and personal testimonies. It provided a new way to discuss feminist theory, emphasizing that philosophy and life are inseparable. Since its publication, many thinkers have expanded on de Beauvoir’s ideas, exploring other forms of “Othering” related to race, economics, and the broader spectrum of gender and sexual identities.
De Beauvoir’s legacy is complex, marked by both her contributions to feminism and controversies, such as accusations of misconduct that led to her losing her teaching license. Despite these controversies, her work remains a significant milestone in early feminism. She continued to engage in philosophical discussions throughout her life, writing until her death in 1986. Today, her work invites us to rethink, revisit, and challenge philosophical ideas—a response she likely would have welcomed.
Engage in a structured debate with your peers on the concept of existential freedom as proposed by Simone de Beauvoir. Discuss whether you agree with her view that humans are born without a divine plan and must create their own meaning. Use examples from your own life or historical events to support your arguments.
Write a short story or essay exploring the theme of “Othering” as described by de Beauvoir in “The Second Sex.” Consider how this concept might apply to different contexts, such as gender, race, or economic status. Share your work with classmates and discuss the various interpretations and insights.
Collaborate with a group to create a presentation on the impact of “The Second Sex” on modern feminist theory. Include an analysis of how de Beauvoir’s ideas have influenced contemporary discussions on gender and identity. Present your findings to the class and facilitate a Q&A session.
Participate in a role-playing exercise where you assume the roles of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and other existentialist philosophers. Engage in a dialogue about the ethics of ambiguity and the responsibility of creating one’s own life’s meaning. Reflect on how these discussions might apply to current societal issues.
Watch a film that explores existential themes, such as “The Matrix” or “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Analyze how the film’s narrative aligns with or challenges de Beauvoir’s philosophical ideas. Write a reflection on how the film deepens your understanding of existentialism and share your insights with the class.
At the age of 21, Simone de Beauvoir became the youngest person to take the philosophy exams at France’s most esteemed university. She passed with flying colors. However, once she mastered the rules of philosophy, she sought to challenge them. Educated on Plato’s Theory of Forms, which dismissed the physical world as a flawed reflection of higher truths and unchanging ideals, de Beauvoir found earthly life to be captivating, sensual, and dynamic. Her desire to explore the physical world would shape her life and inspire a radical new philosophy.
Engaging in endless debates with her romantic and intellectual partner Jean-Paul Sartre, de Beauvoir examined concepts such as free will, desire, rights and responsibilities, and the significance of personal experience. In the years following World War II, these ideas coalesced into the school of thought most closely associated with their work: existentialism. While Judeo-Christian traditions taught that humans are born with a predetermined purpose, de Beauvoir and Sartre proposed a revolutionary alternative: that humans are born free and thrown into existence without a divine plan. As de Beauvoir noted, this freedom is both a blessing and a burden.
In “The Ethics of Ambiguity,” she argued that our greatest ethical imperative is to create our own life’s meaning while respecting the freedom of others to do the same. De Beauvoir famously stated, “A freedom which is interested only in denying freedom must be denied.” This philosophy challenged its students to navigate the ambiguities and conflicts produced by our desires, both internally and externally. As de Beauvoir sought to find her own purpose, she began to question why, if everyone deserves to freely pursue meaning, she was constrained by society’s ideals of womanhood.
Despite her prolific writing, teaching, and activism, de Beauvoir faced challenges in being taken seriously by her male peers. She had rejected her Catholic upbringing and societal expectations to study at university and write memoirs, fiction, and philosophy. However, the risks she took by embracing this lifestyle were often overlooked by many of her male counterparts, who took these freedoms for granted. They showed little intellectual interest in de Beauvoir’s work, which explored women’s inner lives, as well as her open relationship and bisexuality.
To convey the importance of her perspective, de Beauvoir embarked on her most challenging book yet. Just as she had laid the foundations of existentialism, she sought to redefine the limits of gender. Published in 1949, “The Second Sex” argues that, like our life’s meaning, gender is not predetermined. De Beauvoir famously wrote, “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman.” To “become” a woman, she argued, was to become the Other. De Beauvoir defined Othering as the process of labeling women as less than men, who had historically been defined as the ideal human subjects. As the Other, women were considered secondary to men and systematically restricted from pursuing freedom.
“The Second Sex” became a foundational feminist text, offering a detailed history of women’s oppression and a wealth of personal testimony. Its combination of personal experience and philosophical insight provided a new language to discuss feminist theory. Today, those conversations continue to be informed by de Beauvoir’s insistence that in the pursuit of equality, “there is no divorce between philosophy and life.”
Like any foundational work, the ideas in “The Second Sex” have been expanded upon since its publication. Many modern thinkers have explored additional ways people are Othered that de Beauvoir did not address, including racial and economic identities, as well as the broader spectrum of gender and sexual identities we understand today. De Beauvoir’s legacy is further complicated by accusations of misconduct by two of her university students, which led to her teaching license being revoked for abusing her position.
In this aspect and others, de Beauvoir’s life remains controversial, and her work represents a significant moment in the emergence of early feminism. She engaged in these conversations for the rest of her life, writing fiction, philosophy, and memoirs until her death in 1986. Today, her work offers a philosophical language to be reimagined, revisited, and challenged—a response that this revolutionary thinker might have welcomed.
Philosophy – The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. – In his philosophy class, John explored the works of Kant and Descartes to understand the nature of human consciousness.
Existentialism – A philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. – Sartre’s existentialism posits that individuals must create their own meaning in a world that inherently lacks it.
Freedom – The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint, often discussed in philosophical contexts regarding free will and autonomy. – The concept of freedom is central to Rousseau’s writings, where he argues for the natural liberty of man.
Ethics – The branch of philosophy that deals with questions of morality and the principles of right and wrong behavior. – In her thesis, Maria examined the ethics of artificial intelligence and its implications for society.
Ambiguity – The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness, often explored in literature and philosophy to discuss the complexity of meaning. – The ambiguity in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” allows for multiple interpretations of Gregor Samsa’s transformation.
Gender – A social construct that refers to the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. – Simone de Beauvoir’s work on gender challenges the traditional roles assigned to women in society.
Norms – Standards or patterns of social behavior that are typical or expected within a society or group, often examined in philosophical and sociological contexts. – Foucault’s analysis of societal norms reveals how power structures influence individual behavior.
Oppression – The systematic and pervasive mistreatment and exploitation of a group of people, often discussed in philosophical and sociopolitical contexts. – In her writings, bell hooks addresses the intersectionality of race, class, and gender in understanding oppression.
Feminism – A range of political and social movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. – Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” is a seminal text in feminist literature, advocating for women’s independence and creative freedom.
Identity – The qualities, beliefs, personality, looks, and expressions that make a person or group, often explored in literature and philosophy to understand the self. – In “Invisible Man,” Ralph Ellison explores the theme of identity and the struggle for self-definition in a racially divided society.
