Simone de Beauvoir

Question 1

human beings possess absolute freedom
to choose their actions and define their existence.
-“Condemned to be free.

Answer 1

Radical Free Will
-French Existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir
-Intellectual Context

Question 2

Humans are not born with a
predetermined purpose (essence) but rather must define
themselves through their actions and choices (existence).

Answer 2

Existence Precedes Essence
-French Existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir
-Intellectual Context

Question 3

Individuals must create their own
meaning and values in a world that is inherently
meaningless.

Answer 3

Absurdity and Anguish:
-French Existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir
-Intellectual Context

Question 4

living truthfully according to one’s
own values and acknowledging the freedom of others.
- “Bad faith” is a form of self-deception where individuals
deny their freedom by conforming to societal
expectations or other external pressures.

Answer 4

Authenticity and Bad Faith
-French Existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir
-Intellectual Context

Question 5

-De Beauvoir argues that women have historically been positioned as the
“Other.”
Examples:
-Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas viewed women as “incomplete” or
“defective” versions of men.
-In Genesis, Eve is created from Adam’s rib, symbolizing her secondary
and subordinate role.
-In Roman law, wives were considered the property of their husbands and
had very limited rights.

Answer 5

1. Women as Other:
   The Second Sex

Question 6

-Freedom involves understanding and asserting one’s subjectivity,
which means being an active agent in one’s life and decisions.
An object is passively shaped by external forces.
-She argued that social and cultural norms pressure women toward
being objectified.
-There is a temptation to being an object and she argues many
women choose to be an object.

Answer 6

2. Subject and Object:
   The Second Sex

Question 7

-Argues that femininity is not a
natural or innate quality but is
instead a product of social
conditioning.
-The idea of an “eternal feminine”
perpetuates stereotypes that define
women as nurturing, passive, and
emotional, limiting their societal
roles.

Answer 7

3. Social Construction of Femininity:
   The Second Sex

Question 8

-Women must transcend the limiting roles imposed by society to
achieve true freedom.
-Focus on cultural issues to address sexism…
-Sexuality, reproductive rights, workplace rights, and violence
against women.

Answer 8

4. Existential Freedom and Responsibility
   The Second Sex