Don’t Be Inauthentic
Wisdom from Simone De Beauvoir’s “The Ethics of Ambiguity”
Simone de Beauvoir is a philosopher best know for writing her groundbreaking novel, “The Second Sex.”
It is a critical account of the role of woman in society, and frequently cited in the world of feminist philosophy.
She is also known as a contemporary of Jean-Paul Sartre and Maurice Merleau-Ponty as a part of the French Existentialist movement.
However, “The Ethics of Ambiguity” seems to be less known among the general public and even in circles of philosophy.
De Beauvoir seems to to think that a way of being in the world is an expression of the will that is trying to live an authentically free existence, yet fails in its attempt because the archetype in which it aims is, in itself, inauthentic.
I find it an intriguing read with some fresh ideas.
Freedom
One can hardly mention the work of De Beauvoir without talking about Freedom. Understanding at least a bit of what she means is integral to understanding her theory of 5 types of Being in the world.
Freedom, for De Beauvoir, always has to disclose itself through action. Otherwise this isn’t freedom at all- rather, it is a trapped idea in the form of…
