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zesty_lemon's review against another edition
3.0
A real ontological slog, but not in the service of wasted words. I hadn’t read any philosophical theory before this book and found it hard to follow at first, but the scientist in me eventually appreciated the pure logical reasoning that forms the basis for her rhetoric.
Simone de Beauvoir challenges the assertion of earlier scholars that existentialism is a “sterile anguish” because it provides no moral framework in which a person can make decisions. She posits that morality is a subjective and continuous exercise that can only exist if it actively promotes the freedoms of ourselves and people around us. This proposed moral code is applied to critique the social conflicts and revolutions that were occurring around her in the mid-20th century but is also relevant to discussion of the events of the 21st century.
It may take you months to complete, but you will emerge a better critical reader and with a radically altered view of what it means to be human in a seemingly ineluctable world. I would recommend to anyone who wants a literary challenge or to dip their toe into the ocean of existentialism, although Sarte’s Being and Nothingness might be a better place to start, as she references it heavily.
Simone de Beauvoir challenges the assertion of earlier scholars that existentialism is a “sterile anguish” because it provides no moral framework in which a person can make decisions. She posits that morality is a subjective and continuous exercise that can only exist if it actively promotes the freedoms of ourselves and people around us. This proposed moral code is applied to critique the social conflicts and revolutions that were occurring around her in the mid-20th century but is also relevant to discussion of the events of the 21st century.
It may take you months to complete, but you will emerge a better critical reader and with a radically altered view of what it means to be human in a seemingly ineluctable world. I would recommend to anyone who wants a literary challenge or to dip their toe into the ocean of existentialism, although Sarte’s Being and Nothingness might be a better place to start, as she references it heavily.
simona_tota's review against another edition
5.0
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Erroneamente alla parola "esistenzialismo" appare unicamente alla mente Sartre e la sua produzione. Ecco, l'esistenzialismo di de Beauvoir è altrettanto interessante e degno di nota del corrispondente più conosciuto. Oltre a "Il secondo sesso" (fortunatamente) Simone de Beauvoir ha scritto anche altro. E' tempo di scoprirlo.
Erroneamente alla parola "esistenzialismo" appare unicamente alla mente Sartre e la sua produzione. Ecco, l'esistenzialismo di de Beauvoir è altrettanto interessante e degno di nota del corrispondente più conosciuto. Oltre a "Il secondo sesso" (fortunatamente) Simone de Beauvoir ha scritto anche altro. E' tempo di scoprirlo.
melissa_muses's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
I definitely bit of more than I could chew with this one, out of a sense of obligation to read classic feminist texts. I desperately wanted to love this, but didn’t feel connected to the content at all. Sadly for me this is so often the case with philosophy as a genre, at least, most philosophy written before the 21st century… much to my dismay. I didn’t have the inclination to catch up on my Hegel and Descartes and Marx in order to fully absorb the message of this.
I was a bit shocked by how some of the language around atrocities of WW2 was handled especially to have been written so close to the time.
There were some moments of lucidity for me… the parallels in observations of tyrants of her time that are still gut-wrenchingly and seemingly impossibly relevant today in a still-not-bloody-post-Trump era.
I was a bit shocked by how some of the language around atrocities of WW2 was handled especially to have been written so close to the time.
There were some moments of lucidity for me… the parallels in observations of tyrants of her time that are still gut-wrenchingly and seemingly impossibly relevant today in a still-not-bloody-post-Trump era.
Notable quotes:
“He cannot be regarded as a nothing, since the consciousness of all things is within him”
“No one governs innocently” - Saint-Just
Overall I might return to classic philosophy in years to come.
ahnicaz's review against another edition
*read twice for phil classes — interesting read on existentialism; def would wanna read more de beauvoir
persnickety_9's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty interesting, although sometimes I felt too dumb to follow along. That was a “me” thing, though, and not necessarily a reflection of the book. I’m not sure I agree with the premise and conclusions that relied on “the ends justify the means,” but she otherwise made some very interesting points about ambiguity in life and of our own ethical decisions.
blackenedwhiplash's review against another edition
4.0
Much more readable than Sartre's "Being and Nothingness," which is the essential book about existentialist philosophy. I don't exactly consider myself an existentialist, but there are quite a few concepts that I can relate to. "The Ethics of Ambiguity" for the most part seems to expand on and support many of Sartre's concepts. I like this novel a lot more, the writing is smoother and less bland and repetitive as Sartre's text and keeps things concise as opposed to Sartre's wordy descriptions. Anyone interested in philosophy or existentialism specifically should check out this book. Or even people who like relatable things that provoke thought about even everyday things.
jiscoo's review against another edition
5.0
clear-eyed and pragmatic; de beauvoir is fearless in her articulation and interrogation of modernity.