Premium Essay

De Beauvoir Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 418
Pages 2
Summer Moser
Nora Khani
Morgan Parker
Michael Gleason

De Beauvoir

<definitions via Michael> According to De Beauvoir, in order to be a genuinely free, ethical individual, people first must embrace their ambiguity as both a subject and an object, having facticity and freedom. There is a frozen past, which nothing can be done about, and an unknown future, in which anything can be done. Facticity constrains a person to their physical limits, social barriers, and expectations and political power of others. Freedom is the ability for the person to take note of themselves and choose what they do, engaging in future possibilities. As she states, “to will oneself free and to will that there be being are one and the same choice” (De Beauvoir 70). People must value not only their freedom but it must be in a space where they can value everyone else’s freedom as well. Ontological freedom is the natural freedom in which one can do anything within their facticity. Power is derived from …show more content…
Furthermore, since every other man is also born with the same freedom, one man cannot will another man to be free. Aesthetic attitude is being in denial of existing in the world. A person with an aesthetic attitude chooses to have no relation with the world, except from a detached existence. They believe that they are not a part of history (75). De Beauvoir also notes that the aesthetic attitude surfaces mostly in moments of depression and confusion as a way of fleeing the truth (76). However, people who live this way who think they are escaping “being” are just acting choosing a way to “be.” Avoiding the aesthetic attitude is important because while that person forgets they cannot change what happened in the past, they lose the opportunity to form the present and build their own future. Living with the aesthetic attitude denies a person the chance to make of their future what they

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Women And Feminist Surgery

...Women and Surgery Despite the fact that the world now a day is developing in many aspects, women are yet an issue that is still discussed. Gender discrimination is witnessed in many aspects in today’s world, from family responsibilities to career roles, it is a main obstacle in almost every female’s life. Even though it may have improved within the years but the improvement is not fast enough. This paper will demonstrate the role of women in the medical field and the obstacles they face in their medical journey. Why is it that gender determines whether a person can become a surgeon or not? What is the main cause behind all this stereotypical ideologies and what are the threats that it creates? Looking at the gender patriarchy, fear of females...

Words: 869 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Women Empowerment – a Reflection in the Poems of “Mumbai Mirror” Eunice de Souza

...------------------------------------------------- Poems of “Mumbai Mirror” Eunice De Souza Mrs.A MATHINI1, R.EZHILARASI2* 1 Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, SCSVMV University, Enathur, Kancheepuram (India). ------------------------------------------------- 2 Research Scholar, Dept. of English, SCSVMV University, Enathur, Kancheepuram (India). INTRODUCTION: Women’s Empowerment is a global issue in determining the status of women. The position and status of women all over the world has risen incredibly in the 20th century. It may be because of the awareness among women. We know that it has been very low in 18th & 19th centuries in India and other Countries. Women were treated like “objects”. In the name of marriage they can be bought and sold. Their dependence on men folk was total. But now women started to learn the possible ways to be independent in the society. Their monetary independence led them to the way to empowerment. Robert Blood (1965) observes, “Employment emancipates women from domination by their Husbands and secondarily, raises their Daughters from inferiority to their Brothers” (Blood and Wolfe, 1965). According to Dr. Nafi’s Sadik, the former Executive Director of UNFPA “Women are the heart of development”. Women are the agent to bring about better lives for billions of people in the developing countries as well as developed countries to bring sustainable development. The main aim of this research paper is to bring about the ideas about Empowerment of...

Words: 1311 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Feminism

...image of Indian womanhood has become, both a shackle and a rhetorical device that nevertheless functions as a historical truth.” - Uma Chakravarti “Whatever happened to the Vedic Dasi?: Orientalism, Nationalism and a Script for the Past.”* Who/where is the Indian woman? Since this conference focuses on the theme “Identity, Difference and Conflict: Postcolonial Critique”, I think this question could well serve as a starter for our discussion on this issue from an Indian feminist perspective. In order to situate this question bringing into relief its complexities, I wish to begin this paper narrating an event recorded by Shobha De, a feminist writer and analyst. According to her report, a certain man in Orissa...

Words: 4288 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Long Road Out of Eden

...The Long Road Out Of Eden A scrutiny of marital relationships and the subsequent consequence on the individuality of women as seen in Astitiva Submitted by: Pavithra Sagar 05D1829 III PSEng Submitted to: Ms. Abhaya Dept. Of Media Studies Christ College “In olden times, sacrifices were made at the altar – a custom which is still continued” Helen Rowland Although marriage might have been instituted in the Garden of Eden when man was in innocence (Gen 2:18-24), marriages are seldom believed to have been made in heaven, unless couples habitually wear rose-tinted glasses. Essentially and realistically, marriage is but a contract or a traditional bargain which is drawn up between men and women. As defined by the World Book Encyclopedia. ‘It is the relationship between a man and a woman who have made legal agreement to live together. When a man and a woman marry, they become husband and wife’. Almost every society has certain traditional ideas about marriage and many roles and duties of the husband and wife are based on religious codes. Most marriage laws that are based on religious edicts favor men. Genesis, the story of creation reveals how God created Man and Woman and placed them in the Garden of Eden. There, they dwelt as equals as both were created in the image of God and thus had undifferentiated roles, duties, shared the same status and their relationship was a ‘partnership of equals’. It was only after the deception of the...

Words: 4217 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

The Depiction of Hermaphroditism in Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex

...2014 Table of ContentTable of Content I.Introduction 3 II.Hermaphroditism vs Middlesex4 III.Cal's Intersexuality in Society6 III.a. Gender Identity and Transphobia6 III.b. Gender Assignment and Intelligibility9 IV.Dealing with Intersexuality10 IV.a.Stephanides Family and Dr. Luce10 IV.b. Beyond Middlesex: Other Cultures 12 V.Conclusion15 V.a.Outlook17 VI.Works Cited19 Introduction Inspired by the story of Herculine Barbin, a nineteenth-century hermaphrodite who committed suicide in 1868, the bestseller novel “Middlesex” by Jeffrey Eugenides deals with the condition of the pseudohermaphrodite Calliope “Cal” Stephanides. Since sex[1] and gender[2] are controversial topics that have been discussed by scholars such as Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault or Judith Butler to name only a few, it can be assumed that the depiction of hermaphroditism in a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel like Middlesex might have an influence on how readers think of the topic itself. Due to this day especially hermaphrodites and intersexuals lack in most countries representation in form of the possibility of being recognized as a third sex. Does Eugenides mirror this situation and depicts Cal as in fact frowned upon, too? So far there are only a handful of countries that acknowledge intersexuality as a third sex which enables them not to have to be forced into either male or female sex categories. Precisely because there is still injustice and stigmatization revolving...

Words: 6778 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Harvard Style Referencing

...53). NB for above example of secondary sources: You would only be able to include the source you have actually read in your reference list – in the above example you could only give full details of Walker unless you have read Jones yourself. It is good practice to try to read the original source (Jones) so that you can cite and reference it in addition to the source which quoted it (Walker). Handling Quotations in the text Short quotations may be run into the text, using single quotation marks: eg As Owens stated (2008, p.97), ‘the value of...’ Longer quotations should be separated from the rest of the text by means of indentation and optional size reduction, and do not need quotation marks: eg Simone de Beauvoir (1972, p.365) examined her own past and wrote rather gloomily: The past is not a peaceful landscape lying there behind me, a country in which I can stroll...

Words: 1649 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Gendered Monkeys

...[Hook/anecdote on observations of nephews etc] A few years ago, a video of a five-year-old girl named Riley went viral. Standing in a decidedly pink toy aisle she laments, “Why do all the girls have to buy pink stuff?” Riley is not the only one questioning the ways in which toys are gender-stereotyped and marketed, and some go so far to argue that, in addition to shaping gender identity, it in contributes to gender inequality. [additional discussion/framing main questions of the paper etc] Gender, not to be confused with sex, which is biologically defined by reproductive organs, may be understood as a socially constructed range of characteristics that pertain to and differentiate between masculinity and femininity. To further clarify, “male” and “female” are sex categories,...

Words: 1683 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Harvard Referencing System

...Citing your references using the Harvard (Author-Date) system Is this the correct guide for you? Before using this guide, please check whether your Department, School or Faculty specifies the use of a particular referencing system and, if so, if it provides its own guidelines to that system. Note that some Departments,Schools or Faculties may expect both a list of (cited) references and a (general) bibliography, rather than one single reference list/bibliography. Why is it important to cite references? • It is accepted practice in the academic world to acknowledge the words, ideas or work of others and not simply to use them as if they were your own.  Failure to do this could be regarded as plagiarism - see http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/skill/plagiarism.html • to enable other people to identify and trace your sources quickly and easily • to support facts and claims you have made in your text 1. In-text citations The in-text citation is placed at the exact point in your document where you refer to someone else’s work, whether it is a book, journal, online document, website or any other source. It consists of author (or editor/compiler/translator) and publication year, in brackets: eg Agriculture still employs half a million people in rural Britain (Shucksmith, 2000). An author can be an organisation or Government Department (common with websites): eg (English Heritage, 2010) If there are 2 authors, both...

Words: 1636 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Fgsgfds

...HISTORY 4C: WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 1715-PRESENT Description of the Course: This course surveys the history of Europe from the beginning of the 18th century until the end of the 20th century. We will study major political, economic, social and intellectual developments that affected European societies during that time period and changed lives of people throughout the world. Major themes of the course will include the French and Industrial Revolutions, emergence of ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism and socialism as well as their practical impact on politics and culture, the rise and fall of European global dominance, wars and revolution of the 20th century. Goals of the Course: I. Understanding Historical Heritage of our Civilization: The major purpose of this course is to familiarize you with heritage of the western civilization and help you understand significance of its impact on contemporary world. This class will aim to illustrate how the past impacts people’s lives in the present and how our actions, ideas, and self-image are shaped by historical developments. II. Acquiring Critical Thinking: History consists of more than just memorization of names, dates and narratives of historical events. Although knowledge of factual information is imperative, it is important to realize that history is interpretation of facts, trends and ideas. Therefore, neither professor nor Teaching Assistants will give you “right” or “wrong” answers. Instead, another major...

Words: 3131 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Feminism

...UNIT 3 TRENDS IN FEMINISM Structure 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Objectives 3.3 Liberal Feminism 3.3.1 Liberal Thought 3.3.2 Classical Liberal Feminism 3.3.3 Second Wave Liberal Feminism 3.3.4 Weakness/Limitations of the Liberal Feminism 3.3.5 Contribution to the Women’s Movement 3.4 Marxist Feminism 3.4.1 Foundations of Marxist Feminism 3.4.2 Other Key Elements in Marxist Feminism 3.4.3 Limitations of Marxist Feminism 3.4.4 Contribution to the Women’s Movement 3.5 Psychoanalytic Feminism 3.5.1 The Beginnings of Psychoanalytic Feminism – Countering Freudian Theories 3.5.2 Explanation by other Theorists 3.5.3 Limitations of Psychoanalytic Feminism 3.5.4 Contribution to the Women’s Movement 3.6 Radical feminism 3.6.1 Definition 3.6.2 The influences that shaped Radical Feminism 3.6.3 What are the variations of Radical Feminism? 3.6.3.1 Radical- Libertarian Feminism 3.6.3.2 Radical-Cultural Feminism 3.6.4 Radical Feminism – Its Structure 3.6.5 The Outcomes of the Movement 3.6.6 Critiques of Radical Feminism 3.6.7 Contribution to the Women’s Movement 3.7 Postmodern Feminism 3.7.1 Postmodern Thought 3.7.2 Postmodern rethinking of psychological explanation of gender 3.7.3 Postmodern Feminist 3.7.4 Limitations of Postmodern feminism 3.7.5 Contribution to the women’s Movement 3.8 Black Feminism and Womanism 3.8.1 The Beginnings of Black Feminism 3.9 Cyber Feminism 3.9.1 Origin of Cyber Feminism 3.9.2 Definition of the 100 Anti Thesis 3.9.3 Cyber art and its relation to Cyber feminism 3.9.4...

Words: 17769 - Pages: 72

Free Essay

A Case Study on Female Infanticide and Foeticide in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, India

...today – some villages does not even have women at all. (Subhra Singh, The Times of India feb. 8th 2011, from the cencus in 2001) Sex selection in India is at a growing rate, and according to the census held in 2001, the sex ratio (number of females per thousand males) shows that there are great varieties in the numbers – from the lowest, with 591 (Daman) to the highest, Pondicherry, which has 1,147 females per 1000 males. The average sex ratio for whole of India the same year was 927 to 1000 – and the numbers are still increasing. (Sabu George, 'Hidden Genocide', 2007). These numbers, linked to the prevalence of female infanticide and foeticide in Indian states, is a clear indication of violence against women and children. In this paper, we will focus on and explain the practices of female infanticide and foeticide in India, more precisely in area of Tamil Nadu and...

Words: 9680 - Pages: 39

Premium Essay

Literary Theory

...Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism Introduction A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. The different lenses also allow critics to focus on particular aspects of a work they consider important. For example, if a critic is working with certain Marxist theories, s/he might focus on how the characters in a story interact based on their economic situation. If a critic is working with post-colonial theories, s/he might consider the same story but look at how characters from colonial powers (Britain, France, and even America) treat characters from, say, Africa or the Caribbean. Hopefully, after reading through and working with the resources in this area of the OWL, literary theory will become a little easier to understand and use. Disclaimer Please note that the schools of literary criticism and their explanations included here are by no means the only ways of distinguishing these separate areas of theory. Indeed, many critics use tools from two or more schools in their work. Some would define differently or greatly expand the (very) general statements given here. Our explanations are meant only as starting places for your own investigation into literary theory. We encourage you to use the list of scholars and works provided for each...

Words: 11786 - Pages: 48

Premium Essay

50 Key Concepts in Gender Studies

...50 Key Concepts in Gender Studies Jane Pilcher & Imelda Whelehan Fifty Key Concepts in Gender Studies i Recent volumes include: Key Concepts in Social Research Geoff Payne and Judy Payne Key Concepts in Medical Sociology Jonathan Gabe, Mike Bury and Mary Ann Elston Forthcoming titles include: Key Concepts in Leisure Studies David Harris Key Concepts in Critical Social Theory Nick Crossley Key Concepts in Urban Studies Mark Gottdiener The SAGE Key Concepts series provide students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in a variety of disciplines. Cross-referenced throughout, the format encourages critical evaluation through understanding. Written by experienced and respected academics, the books are indispensable study aids and guides to comprehension. JANE PILCHER AND IMELDA WHELEHAN Fifty Key Concepts in Gender Studies SAGE Publications London • Thousand Oaks • New Delhi iii © Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelehan 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the Publishers. SAGE Publications Ltd 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B-42 Panchsheel Enclave Post Box 4109 New Delhi 100 017 British Library...

Words: 86432 - Pages: 346

Premium Essay

Feminism

...of their gender differences which is a social construct. “Sex is considered a fact - one is born with either male or female genitalia. Gender is considered a social construction - it grants meaning to the fact of sex. Conversely, it could be said that only after specific meanings came to be attached to the sexes, did sex differences become pertinent” (Geetha, 2002: 10). Gender based discriminations and exploitations are widespread and the socio-culturally defined characteristics, aptitudes, abilities, desires, personality traits, roles, responsibilities and behavioral patterns of men and women contribute to the inequalities and hierarchies in society. Gender differences are man made and they get legitimised in a patriarchal society. This paper attempts to link the theoretical dimensions of patriarchy with its empirical experiences to engage in the ongoing debates and discussion on “patriarchy” which manifests itself in various forms of discriminations, inequalities, hierarchies, inferior status and position of women in society. Thus it is important to understand patriarchy in terms of its multiplicity, complexities and dynamics. What is Patriarchy? Patriarchy literally means rule of the father in a male-dominated family. It is a social...

Words: 9801 - Pages: 40

Free Essay

Essential Thinkers

...A618C90F-C2C6-4FD6-BDDB-9D35FE504CB3 First American paperback edition published in 2006 by Enchanted Lion Books, 45 Main Street, Suite 519, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Copyright © 2002 Philip Stokes/Arcturus Publishing Limted 26/27 Bickels Yard, 151-153 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3HA Glossary © 2003 Enchanted Lion Books All Rights Reserved. The Library of Congress has cataloged an earlier hardcover edtion of this title for which a CIP record is on file. ISBN-13: 978-1-59270-046-2 ISBN-10: 1-59270-046-2 Printed in China Edited by Paul Whittle Cover and book design by Alex Ingr A618C90F-C2C6-4FD6-BDDB-9D35FE504CB3 Philip Stokes A618C90F-C2C6-4FD6-BDDB-9D35FE504CB3 ENCHANTED LION BOOKS New York Contents The Presocratics Thales of Miletus . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pythagoras of Samos . . . . . 10 Xenophanes of Colophon 12 Heraclitus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Scholastics St Anselm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 St Thomas Aquinas . . . . . . . 50 John Duns Scotus . . . . . . . . . 52 William of Occam . . . . . . . . . 54 The Liberals Adam Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Mary Wollstonecraft . . . . 108 Thomas Paine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Jeremy Bentham . . . . . . . . . 112 John Stuart Mill . . . . . . . . . . 114 Auguste Comte . . . . . . . . . . . 116 The Eleatics Parmenides of Elea . . . . . . . 16 Zeno of Elea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Age of Science Nicolaus Copernicus . . . . . . 56 Niccolò Machiavelli...

Words: 73655 - Pages: 295