Bio: (1908-1986) French philosopher, writer, and feminist. Simone de Beauvoir graduated in philosophy at the Sorbonne, where she later taught. She is also known for her long-term love and intellectual relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre, with whom she co-created the philosophy of existentialism and shared leftist views of the world. In her most famous book, The Second Sex (2021, in French 1949), she presented key ideas that would make her the bellwether of the second wave of feminism. In this book, the author presents the idea that "one is not born a woman, but becomes one", that is, that women grow up in a world that gives men an active role, restrains a woman, and forces her to accept a subordinate role. In this sense, the role of women is a social and cultural construct. Dominant culture defines a woman as "Other" - something that is different from the standard that is the men. Simone de Beauvoir advocated the rejection of imposed gender roles and a change in the way the sexes treat each other - overcoming the roles of domination and subordination. Roles that are imposed on the sexes always contain the aspect of acting and performance in themselves.

Religion also serves men to subdue women. Men control and shape religious beliefs, in order to use divine authority to justify their dominance. On the other hand, religion gives women compensation for their subordinate position. In modern society, religion serves as a means of deception, to make women believe that they are equal to men. Women were once portrayed in religion as closer to God, but for religions, their role as mothers is paramount. Women should be passive and thus closer to God. Religion also offers women a reward in the next life, for all the suffering they go through in this life. Religion is hostile to any attempt to emancipate women, while, on the other hand, women play a key role to play in maintaining religion, as they are mostly responsible for educating children in a religious spirit. de Beauvoir studied the position of women through themes of menstruation, frigidity, pregnancy, and menopause, but also through the ideals of beauty and the aging process. She also explored feelings of love and desire.

Main works

L'invintée (1943);

Pour une morale de l'ambiguïté (1947);

Le Deuxième Sexe (1949);

Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée (1958);

Une mort très douce (1965);

Las inseparables (2021).

Works translated into English:

A Very Easy Death (1986, in French 1965);

Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (2005, in French 1958);

The Ethics of Ambiguity (2018, in French 1947);

The Second Sex (2021, in French 1949);

The Inseparables (2021, in French 2021).