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Books by Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir was a French intellectual and political activist. Considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, she is known for her early contributions to existentialist philosophy, her romans-à-clef “She Came to Stay” and “The Mandarins,” and for her 1949 treatise, “The Second Sex,” a foundational work of contemporary feminism. She was in a lifelong, open relationship with fellow existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre.

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The Ethics of Ambiguity

Simone de Beauvoir

“The Ethics of Ambiguity” is one of the major texts of existentialist philosophy. Published in 1947, this short book – Simone de Beauvoir’s second non-fiction work – goes over the main points of existential philosophy, and attempts to achieve the seemingly impossible: devise an ethical system consistent with Jean-Paul Sartre’s belief that being human means being radically free in a world devoid of meaning.

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