Extracts From: The Second Sex

by Simone de Beauvoir

Vintage classic feminist texts in short form

When this book was first published in 1949 it was to outrage and scandal. Never before had the case for female liberty been so forcefully and successfully argued. De Beauvoir’s belief that ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’ switched on light bulbs in the heads of a generation of women and began a fight for greater equality and economic independence. These pages contain the key passages of the book that changed perceptions of women forever.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Philosophy, Classics, Politics, France, Womens

120 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2015

About the author

Simone de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher, novelist, essayist, memoirist, and feminist whose writings profoundly shaped twentieth-century philosophy, literature, and modern feminist thought. Born in Paris into a bourgeois Catholic family, she displayed exceptional intellectual ability from an early age. After studying philosophy at the Sorbonne, she passed the prestigious agrégation examination in 1929, becoming one of its youngest successful candidates. During her studies she met Jean-Paul Sartre, with whom she formed a lifelong intellectual and personal partnership that became central to the development of French existentialism. Although Beauvoir often rejected the title of philosopher during her lifetime, her work established her as one of the discipline's most influential modern thinkers. She explored themes of freedom, responsibility, ethics, oppression, and human existence through both philosophical and literary writing. Her groundbreaking book The Second Sex (1949) transformed feminist theory by arguing that femininity is shaped primarily by social and historical conditions rather than biology, introducing the celebrated idea that "one is not born, but rather becomes, woman." The work challenged traditional assumptions about gender and became one of the foundational texts of contemporary feminism. Beauvoir also authored influential philosophical studies, including The Ethics of Ambiguity, alongside acclaimed novels such as She Came to Stay, The Blood of Others, The Mandarins, which received the Prix Goncourt in 1954, and The Woman Destroyed. Her four-volume autobiography, beginning with Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, remains an important account of twentieth-century intellectual and cultural life. Throughout her career she served as co-founder and editor of the influential journal Les Temps Modernes, contributing essays on politics, literature, philosophy, and contemporary social issues. Beyond her writing, Beauvoir was deeply engaged in public life. She campaigned for women's rights, reproductive freedom, and social equality, signing the Manifesto of the 343 that called for the legalization of abortion in France. She also opposed colonialism, criticized social injustice, and supported progressive political causes throughout her life. Her travels inspired widely read travel books and essays examining cultures in the United States and China. Beauvoir's legacy extends far beyond feminism, influencing existential philosophy, literary criticism, political theory, ethics, sociology, and gender studies. Despite continuing debate over aspects of her personal life and controversial relationships, her intellectual contributions remain central to modern scholarship. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and continue to be studied worldwide for their philosophical depth and literary achievement. Honored with distinctions including the Prix Goncourt, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature, Simone de Beauvoir is widely regarded as one of the defining intellectual figures of the twentieth century, whose writings permanently transformed discussions of gender, freedom, morality, and the human condition while continuing to inspire scholars, writers, and activists across generations.

Reviews

[Amal Bedhyefi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well , Let me tell you this from the beginning , this was not an easy read for me.
These extracts are mainly composed of the original book's introduction, conclusion and Chapter 14 : The Independent Woman .
It took me almost a week to try and grasp the majority of her thoughts as I am , unfortunately , unfamiliar with the historical references and most of the philosophers mentioned .
Although this book was written nearly 70 years ago , there are many aspects of Simone de Beauvoir's analysis that still feel relevant and important until this day .
I was dazzled and intrigued by her well-written , put together , intelligent ' argumentation' , even though it's not really considered as 'argumentation' as explained by Natalie Haynes." There is something dazzling about the certainty Beauveoir can bring to almost everything ... Only when you read her do you realise how many women write using a default uncertainty- maybe , perhaps , possibly ".
I've also read Natalie Hayes's introduction several times when reading these extracts and I loved it !
There's something in her style of writing that makes you eager to find out more about Simone ( and Sartre as well in my case) .
Over all and after days of taking notes of all the historical and philosophical references that I need to read , It's safe to say that I enjoyed reading this for it made me want to pick up the whole lenghty book.
If you want to get a taste of The Second Sex and you don't want to commit to the whole book , this one is for you.

[Julie Ehlers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Independent Woman is a tiny book, approximately 100 pages and with dimensions about half those of a standard trade paperback; it includes "extracts" from The Second Sex, namely the introduction, a chapter entitled "The Independent Woman," and the conclusion. You can hardly blame Vintage for wanting to contribute to the tiny feminist book craze, and upon reflection it's kind of surprising that they haven't thought of doing this before, given what an intimidating behemoth The Second Sex is. But it's precisely the fact that this is a tiny excerpt of a much larger work that makes it impossible to review. It made some arguments I thought were excellent and some I thought were ridiculous, but how do I know she doesn't address my criticisms in some other part of The Second Sex? The Independent Woman mostly just made me realize I should try to get to the complete work. Maybe that was its true intention all along? Well, if that's the case, I'll add that the writing was awkward enough that it made me wonder if I should try the older, disdained H.M. Parshley translation rather than the newer Borde/Malovany-Chevallier translation. If anyone has an opinion on this, please weigh in! I have copies of both translations. What's that you're asking? I own two copies of The Second Sex but still paid money for this small extract? Well yeah. I mean, am I a book lover or aren't I?

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift to the world SDB has been. Such concise brillant reflections. I should have read this 20 years ago.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Simone de Beauvoir in 2021 brings up mixed feelings: on one hand you find yourself agreeing with a lot of what she wrote back then and being frustrated that in some aspects the needle has moved very little if at all; in other ways you reflect on how Simone was herself a product of her time and how that context influenced her views. It is still sadly true that the world is largely run by men and interesting to reflect in the historical and philosophical ways in which we have created this divide between men and women almost as two factions in conflict and of fundamentally different natures. It is also interesting to reflect, in the light of what we now know about men's mental health and male suicide rates, how the old system did not only do a disservice to women but to men themselves: the first denied the ability to imagine themselves outside the home, the second having to deal with the internal and external pressures of being a provider, the sole breadwinner, without being able to share the load or any feelings. Much of that has changed, most women now work, even if they still do a majority of house work and caring responsibilities. Where Simone shows her biases (beyond the obvious ones of lacking intersectional points of view and only representing straight white women of a certain class) is on what she sees as a desirable state for womanhood: she despairs at women who still talk about men in her free time, at female writers who write about love and family instead of concerning themselves with more worthy subjects of the essence of being, or politics, or war. It is here that, as someone in the world built by men, Simone shows herself incapable of imagining that our notions of what quality is, what is worth writing about, were created by that same group and to represent the full extent of human experience is to change those notions too. The old adage of "women write about family, men write about war" to me means not that women cannot write about war - there are many that do - but that we should also consider family a worthy subject to write about.
Nevertheless, this book is definitely a classic of feminist literature and thinking, and well worth a read. I'm not sure I would have managed the full Le Deuxième Sexe in French - maybe for that I'll pick up the translation.

[Tanya]

This edition of The Second Sex is just a little collection of extracts from the original work and, now that I'm more familiar with Beauvoir’s way of thinking (and writing), I'm sure I'll pick up the full version of The Second Sex very soon.
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In this little book you'll find the introduction to Beauvoir’s most famous work and the important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.
She was unapologetically brutal with the remarks she made. This book informed fellow feminist thinkers like Betty Friedan and led to the rise of second-wave feminism in the early 1960s.
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It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.
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Also the fact that she was associated with Sartre and that their writing styles were highly influenced by each other fascinates me even more. To know a woman so close to him is all I could ask for right now. (Secretly in love with him myself)

[Jahnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Introduction: I found the 27-paged Introduction too long, and quite difficult to read and understand. To me, the main points were of Woman as a human being, of Woman being the object but not the subject, and of Woman being the other.

2. The Independent Woman: This excerpt from The Second Sex is interesting. I enjoyed reading it. The context in this selection is more of a criticism against Woman rather than a defense of her being. It is interesting that through this criticism, Woman is prompted to remake Woman: to remake Woman, Woman must remake what is in herself. Woman is encouraged to transcend from her inferiority complex, and from the makings of her that were imposed on her by her history, her society, her self.

Most of the scenarios in this selection are out-of-date against this generation, proving that we have come a long way since Simone de Beauvoir's time. (I hope she's a bit pleased.) But it is interesting to note still that Woman is still in the process of transcending from her being, and this is the part where a lot of Beauvoir's criticisms can still apply.

3. Conclusion: I like that Simone de Beauvoir does not demean Man to uplift Woman. I like that when she encourages for equality, she also means that equality does not negate or disqualify the differences between Man and Woman, it only encourages that both Man and Woman be given equal opportunities and that they both be peers.

[Syed Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Sex is considered as one of the most revolutionary books of feminist history and attributed with starting the second wave of the feminist movement. Even though it was written over 70 years ago, I found it be the most refreshing and enlightening take on feminism that I've ever come across. Her words resonated with many of own thoughts and verbalized them more eloquently than I could ever imagine. Even though this book only contains excerpts from the original text, I think it captures its essence.

The writer asserts that we need to stop comparing men to women and see women as beings in themselves. She gave me an entirely new perspective on equality, that equality does not mean imitation and productivity should not be a criteria for a person's worth. She digs deep into the root of the problem and answers many popular questions asked by those against the idea of women empowerment. Simone accurately diagnosis the ailments that have held women back over the millennia and still haunt them despite the apparent equal opportunities. At times her ideas went entirely over my head since it is not only a social critique but also a philosophical text. I believe myself very incapable of reviewing such a master piece so consider it is more of a tribute to her genius.

[Risha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Will definitely get my hands on the full version.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik ook, geloof dat de meeste vrouwen nog steeds voornamelijk in relatie tot de mannen in hun leven worden gedefinieerd. Klinkt ironisch uit mijn mond (ik ben niet jullie meest serieuze vriendinnetje met de meest ernstige book reviews), maar daar meen ik elk woord van.

Ik heb Le Deuxième Sexe als tiener proberen te lezen, maar ik denk dat ik nu pas oud genoeg ben om De Beauvoir werkelijk te begrijpen. De pocket bevat ook wel de beste delen van LDS. Wat ze schrijft over monogamie, de studerende vrouw, seks, het reddende van de professionele bezigheden van de vrouw, financiële (on)afhankelijkheid, homoseksualiteit (heel kort hier wel, moet ik bekijken in LDS), rebellie, het belang van uiterlijkheidszorg voor vrouwen (onvergelijkbaar met dat voor de man), artistiek schepper (“créatrice”) zijn als vrouw (niet gewoon: iets kunstigs voortbrengen), voortplanting en anticonceptie - ik snap het allemaal en dat is…. vernietigend. Elke vrouw in mijn omgeving moet oprecht minstens deze folio (+- 120 p. en bijlage) hebben gelezen (taal maakt niet uit) om 1) te beseffen van hoe ver we komen, en om 2) zich te hoeden voor de valkuilen van de vrouwelijkheid van vandaag. Dadde, en dat ene boekje met essays van suffragettes.

“Or la femme a toujours été, sinon l'esclave de l'homme, du moins sa vassale; les deux sexes ne se sont jamais partagé le monde à éga lite; et aujourd'hui encore, bien que sa condition soit en train d'évoluer, la femme est lourdement handicapée. En presque aucun pays son statut légal n'est identique à celui de l'homme et souvent il la désavantage considérablement. Même lorsque des droits lui sont abstraitement reconnus, une longue habitude empêche qu'ils ne trouvent dans les mœurs leur expression concrète.”

“Beaucoup de femmes d'aujourd'hui, ayant eu la chance de se voir restituer tous les privilèges de l'être humain, peuvent s'offrir le luxe de l'impartialité : nous en éprouvons même le besoin. Nous ne sommes plus comme nos aînées des combattantes.”

“Le code français ne range plus l'obéissance au nombre des devoirs de l'épouse et chaque citoyenne est devenue une électrice'; ces libertés civiques demeurent abstraites quand elles ne s'accompagnent pas d'une autonomie économique; la femme entretenue — épouse ou courtisane — n'est pas affranchie du mâle parce qu'elle a dans les mains un bulletin de vote ; si les mœurs lui imposent moins de contraintes qu'autre-fois, ces licences négatives n'ont pas modifié profondément sa situation ; elle reste enfermée dans sa condition de vassale. C'est par le travail que la femme a en grande partie franchi la distance qui la séparait du mâle ; c'est le travail qui peut seul lui garantir une liberté concrète. Dès qu'elle cesse d'être une parasite, le système fondé sur sa dépendance s'écroule ; entre elle et l'univers il n'est plus besoin d'un médiateur masculin.”

“Quand le mâle jouit de la femme, quand il la fait jouir, il se pose comme l'unique sujet : imperieux conquerant, généreux donateur ou les deux ensemble.”

“Parfois, elle renonce entièrement à son autonomie, gle rest plus qu'une amoureuse; le plus souvent elle essaie une conciliation; mais l'amour ido-lâtre, T'amour abdication est dévastateur: il occupe toutes les pensées, tous les instants, il est obsédant, tyrannique. En cas de déboires professionnels, la femme cherche passionnément un refuge dans l'amour (…) Ici encore pour que la femme pût être amoureuse à la manière d'un homme, c'est-à-dire sans mettre son être même en question, dans la liberté, il faudrait qu'elle se pensât son égale.”

“En effet, pour devenir un créateur il ne suffit pas de se cultiver, c'est-à-dire d'intégrer à sa vie des spec tacles, des connaissances ; il faut que la culture soit appréhendée à travers le libre mouvement d'une transcendance ; il faut que l'esprit avec toutes ses richesses se jette vers un ciel vide qu'il lui appartient de peupler; mats si mille liens ténus le rattachent à la terre, son élan est brisé.”

[carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

me sentí regañada por la señorita beauvoir

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting to read older feminist literature. This only included one chapter, "The independent Woman" from Beauvoirs book. There are some interesting points but I also have the feeling that de Beavoir is a bit of a snob lol. Maybe it is just this chapter but it would be interesting to see what she had to say about the other topics in the complete book at some point. But I most likely won't read it because it was not exactly fun to read this. The language is what to be expected from an older book but I feel like I would need to read it at least twice to actually fullt get what she is trying to convey but it was not at all interesting enough for me to put myself through reading it again. There is something about the tone of the book that I don't really vibe with from time to time. She really comes across like a bit of a knowledge snob. I got the feeling that she for example kind of looks down on female literatures as not reaching the depths of dense books written by men. It just doesn't really sit right with me and this view in the last third of the book kind of irks me a bit. Maybe I'm missing the point I don't know, but it wouldn't surprice me if Bevouir was a bit of a knowledge snob considering the circles she hung out in. Anyway, my favourite quote from this is hands down:

"She is a helicopter and she is a bird"

[Mehmed Gokcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second sex, the other, the object, the oppressed... Women have lived a historical destiny that consistently placed them in a position of inferiority to the extent that it got assumed the norm. Simone de Beauvoir's challenge to this paradigm comes from a very realist position of an acknowledgement of 'what is' and pushing to suggest 'what ought to be.' The 'controversial' suggestion she makes is to merely see woman as a subject, a human being and as a complete individual... Outrageous, right?

[jaz ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction and snippet into the philosophies and feminism by SDB, she was ahead of her time and this was a super interesting and condensed peak into what is to come when I finally tackle The Second Sex.

[Jeanne Pitois]

Pourquoi ?
Est-ce que je sens de l’arrogance dans son discours ? Est-ce de la condescendance ? Est-ce parce qu’elle s’attribut trop de mérite dans la connaissance de « la femme » ? Parce que oui Simone tu en es une aussi, ça manque de sentiment d’appartenance à un groupe ton discours.
Ou serait-ce parce que pendant que je lisais j’ai appris que Simone de Beauvoir et son très cher Sartre avaient des morales des plus douteuses en ce qui concerne les MINEURS ? Ici ça sépare très difficilement l’œuvre de l’artiste.
Je ne sais pas exactement pourquoi, mais ce livre m’a énervé plus qu’il ne m’a fait prendre conscience de tout ce qu’engendre le simple fait de naître Femme.

La conclusion est pas mal

[Elo · Rating 4 out of 5]

c'était intéressant à lire comme 'introduction' car elle approfondit largement ses pensées, ses théories dans ses œuvres complètes. mais je trouve ça bien pour commencer dans les lectures féministes """anciennes"""".

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely going to read the entire text at some point. Her thoughts and observations about the female-male relationship are mind blowing.

[signe]

Felt very superior and intellectual while reading even though i only understood like half of it

[Emilie Dyvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

hyper intéressant mais un peu long, et simone dose un peu dans tes paroles tu pars un peu loin des fois

[Elita Lahm · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just strange to read a book written more than 70 years ago and still relate to so many issues. Of course we live in much better times now, but the relevance of some problems is astonishing.

[Mirjam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, yet comprehensive text that in many ways rings as true today as it did when it was written. I was drawn in by the foreword written by Natalie Hayes and wasn't disappointed. I will readily come back to this in the future as it has many truly amazing parts. Strongly recommend this.

[leni swagger · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant,intelligent and well-written arguments that are still valid to this day

“If men were content to love a peer instead of a slave - as indeed some men do who are without either arrogance or an inferiority complex - then women would be far less obsessed with their femininity”

“I only like beggars and the hungry”

“A woman who is not afraid of men frightens them”

“He seeks to possess the woman beyond that which she gives him; he demands that her consent be a defeat”

“But it is also true that they bury in the secret of their hearts many disappointments, humiliations, regrets and grievances whose equivalents are unknown - on the whole - to men.”

“A woman could never have become Kafka”

[Ylenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition is just a little collection of extracts from the original work and, now that I'm more familiar with her line of thinking, I'm sure I'll pick up the full version of The Second Sex.

In this little book you'll find the introduction to her work and the most important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.

It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.

[Geet · Rating 5 out of 5]

the chapter of independent woman, just blew my mind. ugh i want more people to read sdb (especially men).
ps - why men dont read feminist literature?? reminds me of this quote by Bell Hooks - "I read patriarchal men whose work I love. How is it that they can live without reading our work, without wanting to hear our voices? Even if it's just to be nosy, to wonder what "those people" are thinking? [...] Part of the construction of dominator privilege is you don't have to think about what are those other people thinking, feeling, hoping, dreaming."

[Abantika(hiltonjenkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and amazing. Influence of Marx and Foucault is evident in her writing. Just bought the complete novel!

[Mai Farnhammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. I’ve always wanted to read Simone de Beauvoir’s work and had this book sitting on my shelf for some time. When Trump got elected, it felt like there was never going to be a more poignant time to start.

SDB unravels the socio-cultural spiderweb which entraps woman as ‘the other’ or ‘the second sex’. The physiological burden of motherhood, the subversive connotations around femininity and feminism, and the relationship between man and woman. This book is so much more than a debate around traditional gender roles.

In some ways, one could argue much has changed, that women are becoming men’s equal. Yet we are seeing political shifts that are reversing progress at terrifying pace. Despite being published 75 years ago, The Second Sex continues to hold immense relevance in contemporary society.

[connie]

Collecting 3 chapters from Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, my edition of this book includes the key passages from the original text (which is over 600 pages), a text which, once published, inspired and changed the thought process of many women. Another classic feminist text, I decided to read this as my second book of the 2016 Classics Challenge, held by Stacey/prettybooks.

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I discovered this classic in Year 11 of Secondary school. We were studying the second wave of feminism for our coursework, and this was one of the texts mentioned, and when I saw that there was a £5 copy available collecting what the publishers deemed the most important chapters, I decided to pick it up.

WHY I Chose to Read It

Like I said about A Room of One's Own, my first classic of the year, I'm writing an essay on feminism and decided to read this one as a second reference text for it.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

It's one of the more important texts to come out at the beginning of the 20th century to do with feminism, and definitely represents issues now.

WHAT I Thought of This Classic

De Beauvoir's outlook on feminism is similar to Woolf's, but her manner of addressing different topics and situations is completely different. She's a lot more forward and opinionated, informative but still not creating much of a discussion; she seemed to be very solid in her views and doesn't leave much room for contradiction. I found myself losing interest at odd points and not really remembering what she'd said, but then being entranced a couple of pages later and annotating and commenting on things she had written.

I had issues with the way she addressed women in literature, but I had similar issues when I read A Room of One's Own, although Woolf created more discussion around the topic to see how her audience might react differently to women's literature. It seemed like de Beauvoir was sort of... Disregarding the literature. She talked about issues with the women and their limitations, but never actually mentioned that they are still very important and influential texts, and didn't seem to have the same respect for literature that Woolf does.

WILL It Stay A Classic

I think it will, although it won't be considered one of the most important texts. I can't say for sure if the entirety of The Second Sex will remain classic, because I only read extracts, but it didn't really have as big an impact on me as other books I've read recently on the topic of feminism and equality.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I would recommend it to people looking to be introduced to de Beauvoir's work before reading the full text, or to those looking for works to cite in essays about feminism. It definitely sparked some thoughts and ideas and is relevant to the topic!

My next book for the challenge is going to be Come Close by Sappho, a Greek poetess. It's a smaller collection of her work and I'll probably get through it quickly considering it's mostly fragments, but I'm really looking forward to reading it regardless.

[antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i mean it was very interesting and a good look at feminist existentialism and philosophy. not anything super mind blowing. probably will try and read the whole thing at some point || 4.25

[Gustė · Rating 5 out of 5]

'And even when seduction succeeds, victory remains ambiguous; thus, according to public opinion, it is the man who conquers, who has the woman. It does not accept that she can, like the man, assume her desires: she is their prey. It is understood that the male has integrated the forces of the species into his individuality, whereas the woman is the slave of the species. She is represented alternately as pure passivity: she is a 'slut; open for business'; ready and willing, she is a utensil; she limply gives in to the spell of arousal, she is fascinated by the male who picks her like a fruit. Or else she is seen as an alienated activity: there is a devil raging in her womb, a serpent lurks in her vagina, craving to devour male sperm. In any case, it is out of the question to think of her as simply free.'

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it overly reductive and essentialist. I can imagine it being important in its time, but it didn’t really feel worth it to read when there is better contemporary writing that is intersectional with a deeper understanding of gender and class.

[madalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promise I’ll read the real, whole thing next year.