Simone de Beauvoir is now regarded by many scholars, philosophers, and critics as one of the most prominent representatives of the feminist literature in the twentieth century. Among her most famous works, it is possible for us to mark out the following ones: The Mandarins, All Men are Mortal, The Prime of Life, and many others. In the treatise The Second Sex, the author explores such issue as the position of women in the then French society, yet this book can be discussed within the context of modern Western culture.
Simone de Beauvoir argues that full liberation of women may take place only when certain stereotypes, deep-rooted in our consciousness, are broken. According to her, there are some myths about gender roles, which should be dissipated. Although such notion as sex can be defined as a set of physiological characteristics, distinguishing people on the basis of their reproductive function, there is a widely held opinion that these characteristics predetermine personal traits of a human being, which is certainly a common misconception but even now it remains quite popular. The author intends to prove that the character of a person is shaped throughout his or her life, but not vice versa as it is so often stated.
The major principle of her doctrine is that a person is forced to live according to some predefined behavioral patterns, and anyone, trying to deviate from the tradition is turned into a criminal. The philosopher is firmly convinced that gender does not determine the character of a person; on the contrary, it is done by society, which imposes certain standards on people. However, it is impermissible for us to say that a person is born a woman; it is a gradual process, which takes place during socialization.
In the authors opinion, we can hardly speak about the complete liberation of women until these beliefs are dominant. Another issue, which Simone de Beauvoir discusses, is the idea of male transcendence or superiority. From her point of view, this belief has been always imposed on women, and even in the age of feminism, it is often taken for granted not only by men but by some women as well. The author believes that this is probably the major obstacle, hindering the process of women’s liberation. Very few females are able to cast doubt on this statement and even if they do it other women may protest against such behavior.
In this respect, it is worth mentioning that a great number of women suffer from the so-called “inferiority complex” (Beauvoir, p. 716). The main message that the author tries to convey to the reader is that women should get rid of this complex, otherwise liberation is totally impossible. Simone de Beauvoir places special emphasis on the idea that a great shift in public opinion must take place and it will lay the foundations for further emancipation of women. In her view, it is a two-sided process, on the one hand, men have to dispel the myth of their superiority and at the same time, women must have to realize that male transcendence is just a delusion though it is often as an irrefutable truth.
In the chapter “The Independent Women” the author elaborates this idea: she says, ”According to French law, obedience is no longer included among the duties of a wife” (Beauvoir, p. 679). Simone de Beauvoir argues that that modern legislation offers a woman the same opportunities as it does to men. Nonetheless, it is clearly insufficient because there are some tacit laws, which still prevent the female sex from liberation. According to her, humankind still leaves in male society, which subsequently means that rules are established by males and these rules do not allow women to fulfill their potential.
In order to substantiate this statement, the author draws the following facts, for instance, “economic and social autonomy” is always viewed as something unusual or even outrageous. It is so often argued that a woman needs some kind of protector or supporter. The struggle for independence is often labeled as deviant behavior. The major problem is that many women agree with this argument, without even questioning it. Perhaps, the concept of an emancipated woman has not been fully defined. First, it is necessary to take a different on gender roles and the relations between men and women, not only in the family but in society as well. Consequently, every female, who is attempting to establish superiority, is made an outcast. As a result of such policy, the process of emancipation becomes virtually impossible. Despite the fact that Simone de Beauvoir focuses mostly on post-war French society it will not be an exaggeration to say that the situation has not changed much over the last sixty years. Naturally, one may raise an objection to this statement and say that the feminist movement has made a considerable contribution to the emancipation of women, it should be pointed out that the idea of male superiority and female deviance still remains very widespread. Thus, one may say that the questioned raised by Beauvoir remain vital even at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Another idea, which Simone de Beauvoir subjects to heavy criticism, is the belief that the female sex is something abnormal or even deviant. The thing is that the male principles are so often believed to standards, which everyone must adhere to, whereas female characteristics are treated as signs of weakness. Thus, a woman is falsely associated with weakness, though it is just another way of perceiving the world. Another problem, many women also believe that they are vulnerable or fragile. In their opinion, male behavior is more appropriate. It stands to reason, that this belief immensely influences social and economic relations between males and females. The main point that the philosopher is trying to get across is that people should acknowledge and celebrate the differences, existing between the two sexes, until that there will be practically no women’s emancipation.
Therefore, it is quite possible for us to arrive at the conclusion that the famous French philosopher and writer, Simone de Beauvoir presents rather unorthodox views on women’s liberation. Namely, she states that this process requires not only changes in legislation; it also needs new approaches to gender roles and behavior patterns. It is of crucial importance to explode the myth of male superiority or transcendence as the author puts it. Furthermore, she states female sex must not be regarded as something abnormal or deviant. Certainly, Simone de Beauvoir does not want to erase the differences, which exist between men and women, on the contrary, she wants both sexes to celebrate these differences; otherwise, we can hardly speak of any emancipation.
Bibliography
Simone de Beauvoir, Howard Madison Parshley. The Second Sex Vintage Books, 1989.