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Simone de Beauvoir Quotes

Writer

Simone de Beauvoir was a French writer, philosopher, feminist, and social activist. Known for her profound philosophical thoughts and her advocacy for women's status, she is one of the most influential female thinkers of the 20th century. Her works spanned various genres, including novels, philosophical essays, plays, and memoirs, with her most famous work being 'The Second Sex'.

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All Men Ifs Feminism World Thinking Writing Existence Women Humans Way Existentialism Want Doe Knows Children Feminine Made Situation Age Existential

Famous Simone de Beauvoir Quotes

“The fact that we are human beings is infinitely more important than all the peculiarities that distinguish human beings from one another.”

People Humans Important Facts Helping Humanity Human Beings Helping Others Helping Other People

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“It is doubtless impossible to approach any human problems with a mind free from bias.”

Mind Humans Problem Impossible Approach Bias Human Problems Mind Free

Book:The Second Sex

Source: The Second Sex

“Christianity gave eroticism its savor of sin and legend when it endowed the human female with a soul.”

Humans Soul Sin Christianity Atheism Female Positive Atheism Legends

Book:The Second Sex

Source: The Second Sex

“It is not mere chance that makes families speak of a child who is 'extraordinary for his age' and also of an old man who is 'extraordinary for his age'; the extraordinariness lies in their behaving like human beings when they are either not yet or no longer men.”

Men Humans Children Age Lying Speak Chance Human Beings Mere Extraordinary Old Man

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“The human species is forever in a state of change, forever becoming.”

Humans States Forever Becoming Species Human Species

Book:Nature of the second sex

Source: Nature of the second sex

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. No biological, psychological, or economic fate determines the figure that the human female presents in society; it is civilization as a whole that produces this creature, intermediate between male and eunuch, which is described as feminine.”

Humans Whole Born Fate Economic Figures Produce Civilization Creatures Female Males Determine Psychological Feminine Eunuchs

Book:The Second Sex

Source: The Second Sex

“There is a kind of universality in the human condition, masculine or feminine. That's one thing I continue to believe.”

Believe Humans Kind One Thing Conditions Feminine Human Condition Masculine Universality

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.”

“Man is defined as a human being and a woman as a female - whenever she behaves as a human being she is said to imitate the male.”

Men Humans Said Human Beings Inspiring Female Males Defined Behave

Book:Nature of the second sex

Source: Nature of the second sex

“In itself, homosexuality is as limiting as heterosexuality: the ideal should be to be capable of loving a woman or a man; either, a human being, without feeling fear, restraint, or obligation.”

“The characteristic feature of all ethics is to consider human life as a game that can be won or lost and to teach man the means of winning.”

Men Humans Mean Games Winning Lost Teach Ethics Human Life Features Characteristics

Book:The Ethics of Ambiguity

Source: The Ethics of Ambiguity

“When women act like women, they are accused of being inferior. When women act like human beings, they are accused of behaving like men.”

Men Humans Culture Justice Human Beings Diversity Social Justice Inferiors Accused

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“When we abolish the slavery of half of humanity, together with the whole system of hypocrisy it implies, then the "division" of humanity will reveal its genuine significance and the human couple will find its true form.”

Humans Whole Together Form Humanity Culture Justice Half Couple Diversity Social Justice Slavery Genuine Hypocrisy Significance Division Abolish

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“A man would never get the notion of writing a book on the peculiar situation of the human male.”

Men Writing Humans Book Culture Justice Situation Diversity Social Justice Males Notion Peculiar Writing A Book

Book:The Second Sex

Source: The Second Sex

“Each of us is responsible for everything and to every human being.”

Humans Human Beings Responsible

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“To emancipate woman is to refuse to confine her to the relations she bears to man, not to deny them to her; let her have her independent existence and she will continue nonetheless to exist for him also: mutually recognising each other as subject, each will yet remain for the other an other...when we abolish the slavery of half of humanity, together with the whole system of hypocrisy that it implies, then the 'division' of humanity will reveal its genuine significance and the human couple will find its true form.”

Men Humans Whole Together Form Humanity Existence Half Subjects Bears Couple Relation Independent Slavery Refuse Deny Genuine Hypocrisy Significance Division Abolish

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“The women of today are in a fair way to dethrone the myth of femininity; they are beginning to affirm their independence in concrete ways; but they do not easily succeed in living completely the life of a human being.”

Way Humans Today Women Human Beings Succeed Fairs Independence Myth Concrete Femininity

Book:The Second Sex

Source: The Second Sex

“Man is a talking animal and he will always let himself be swayed by the power of the word. Machines won't change human nature.”

Men Humans Animal Talking Human Nature Machines

Book:Les Belles Images

Source: Les Belles Images

About the Author

Born: January 9, 1908
Died: April 14, 1986
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 491

Books & Sources

The Second SexRelated source material

The Woman DestroyedRelated source material

The Ethics of AmbiguityRelated source material

Memoirs of a Dutiful DaughterRelated source material

The Philosophical Library Existentialism Collection: Essays in Metaphysics, The Ethics of Ambiguity, and The Philosophy of ExistentialismRelated source material

A Very Easy DeathRelated source material

Les Belles ImagesRelated source material

La vieillesseRelated source material

Quando tutte le donne del mondo...Related source material

The prime of lifeRelated source material

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