For my first installment
about Simone de Beauvoir I talked about what kind of writer she was and the
legacy she left on being a feminist. In this installment I want to go a little
further into
The Second Sex. This book that Simone published in 1949 leads to the mysteriousness of the history of women’s oppression. In 1960, Simone wrote that The Second Sex was an attempt to explain why a woman's situation, still, even today, prevents her from exploring the world's basic problems.
The Second Sex. This book that Simone published in 1949 leads to the mysteriousness of the history of women’s oppression. In 1960, Simone wrote that The Second Sex was an attempt to explain why a woman's situation, still, even today, prevents her from exploring the world's basic problems.
"Thus humanity is
male and man defines woman not herself but as relative to him." -Simone.
In the introduction of
the novel, Simone pretty much starts off by asking what a woman is and where the
women in the world is. Everyone agrees that there are females in the human species
which makes up half the population of humans that exist. Is femininity secreted
only by the ovaries? This to me would make it seem like not every female human
being is necessarily a woman, although hypothetically we are. Simone stated that
she hesitated for a long time to write this book especially for women, the
subject is irritating. She feels like as being women we are categorized as
being the “Other” when it should not be that way.
Males and females are two
types of individuals who are differentiated within one species for the purposes
of reproduction. Although most philosophies have taken sexual differentiation
for granted. Women who assert they are men still claim masculine consideration
and respect.
“The female is female by virtue of a certain lack of qualities.” –Aristotle.
In my opinion, humanity
is male and male defines woman, not in herself, but in relation to himself.
Although we are a second sex when it comes to certain things I believe women
are capable just like men are too. Because of our race and how society perceive
us to be I don’t see it as being a strict limit. Women are determine, strong,
complex, absolute and honestly that is why we stand out from the males. I would
not consider myself personally as the other, but more so of being the different
gender. After all, women are the ones that procreate in the world and bring
life to more humans. What man has a more responsible role like us WOMAN? :) We are the best creatures ever created! Throughout
the rest of her novel Simone talks about the myths, the psychoanalytical view,
and her lived experience being the independent feminist existentialist.
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/05/prison-break-and-philosophy-richard.html?showComment=1493697188375#c346404310108741695
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/05/rights-for-robots-bot-revolution.html?showComment=1493697559994#c8733941948283404836
Installment 1
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/04/10-installment-1-feminist-existentialism.html
I agree that women are as capable as men are. I also like that she was an existentialist, from that I infer that she didn't take anything for granted and utilized all her opportunities for success.
ReplyDelete