Beauvoir's Second Sex: Introduction

Dr. Ellie Anderson introduces some ideas from the Introduction to the Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir's important 1949 work of feminist philosophy and phenomenology. Dr. Anderson explores Beauvoir's method of existential ethics, idea that woman is the Other, connection to Hegel, and more.

This video is based on material from Dr. Anderson's Philosophy of Gender course at Pomona College.

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[claramoreton]

This is a great video, this text is so widely unappreciated, especially by existentialist scholars! If you have a chance, it would be great if you could make a video about the 'Myths' chapter of The Second Sex. It's a really complex part of the book but so fascinating to me, and it's the closest she gets to a kind of gender metaphysics. Also, it's been argued that this chapter demonstrates that Beauvoir's conception of gender can't be mapped directly on to the Master/Slave dialectic — and even that it might be closer to unhappy consciousness!

[carloszerna]

I’ve been going back and forth about buying a copy of the second sex and this introduction helps out a lot!

[tristenperez]

I love this! Thank you. Pants example was helpful. I'm coming into reading this with very traditional views of masculinity and femininity, in the sense that in general, they are complimentary, and this belief is supported by egalitarian socieities, where those differences are heightened and gender socialization is minimized. However, I'm seeking, in good faith, to challenge what I believe. I really like how the book is structured into different areas, especially how it starts with biology, and how each explains how a woman "becomes" a woman.

Also! I thought it was cool to learn how both Sarte and Beauvoir adopted.

[TurkAllah]

Your breakdowns of her work is always excellent

[bannguy]

I'm reminded of two things: women spies in world war II, and the women who in a way, rose to power through intrigue while, uh, recruited as part of a harem in feudal China. Empress Dowager Cixi, and empress Wu Zetian come to mind. I think those people are extreme examples of "embracing" the Otherness. Thank you.

[rigourless]

😌extremely common dr ellie anderson slay. thank you for these videos.

[Apollo_Archives]

Another awesome video 👌🏽 keep it up guys you have introduced me to so many amazing texts and while I’ve read excerpts from the second sex, this video might make me finally tackle it

[jayconroy]

more i see you more im falling in love with philosophy, the way you explain philosophical ideas they seem easy n force me to pickup more books on ideas. thank you so much for making me esurient for your content

[AS-iuhr]

Thanks for breaking down these concepts, it's very helpful! I'm on my second read-through of The Second Sex and it's a lot.

On my wish list: I wonder if you could do a video about her chapter on Myths and the Eternal Feminine. As a writer, that's the part of the book that fascinates me the most. It's so complex though...

[SimoniousB]

This was a treat to listen to. I enjoyed your description method, perhaps similar to an interview with Simone.. now that would be a treat.

[Its-Lulu]

Great video! Made me wanna dust off my copy that's sitting on my shelf in order to refresh my memory

[Giantcrabz]

Ellie, I absolutely adore you and David's work, as an amateur philosophy nerd, political activist who cares about critical theory, and I am frequently right where you guys went to university in ATL. I would love to see if y'all will speak out in support of our struggle here against Cop City, or on the topics of the expansion of militarized police violence and ecocide and gentrification, as one of our queer comrades was recently murdered by the same cops we are protesting. This movement needs support against the blatant reactionary propaganda flooding the legacy media and recesses of the Internet. I have never seen a philosophy podcast as good as this one; not one episode is lackluster and there's so much thoughtful discussion and creativity and charm in each one, so you and your students would be a powerful advocate for us. If you're interested, I would love to talk more and build connections.

[bruce-le-smith]

very helpful, thank you. great point about skirts, and masculine-coded things being both positive and a neutral centre between a binary set of poles. the crazy idea that women should be defined relative to / derivative of men, instead of as a self-sufficient human being. i once suggested to a friend that one of the deeply concerning things about the concept of whiteness is that the image/metaphor suggests the idea that 'white light contains all of the other colours within it', the concept very subtly implies a claim of both neutrality and more-than. there's something equally concerning about a claim that the concept of the masculine can be neutral and contain other genders within it (a woman being contained as a rib within a man).

[Nedwin]

Beauvoir's emphasis on the fact that women need access to the same kinds of activities and projects as men places her to some extent in the tradition of liberal, or second-wave feminism. She demands that women be treated as equal to men and laws, customs and education must be altered to encourage this. One of the heroines in Indonesia; Kartini, was also a feminism thinker during the 1890's to initiate social movement to raise up gender equality, female emancipation, and woman's right on education. Two female thinkers that have been driving many of social movements until today. Anyway, nice to know the fact that Beauvoir and Sartre ever had open relationship and dated a couple of times. Thanks for the review anyway Dr. Ellie.

[JDSosa]

I´d really like and enjoy your lectures but this one in particular has so much editing that it was difficult to follow. Again, thank you for sharing your work with us.

[Ernesto_the_Caffiend]

Man, I dig these existentialist cats. The whole essence after-the-fact thing is groovy ah

[motrotmos]

Thanks for this excellent introduction. In particular thanks to it, I understood (i) the origin of "the other" and (ii) in what sense this is the product of existential phenomenology.

[coastalgrasslander]

wow on the first viewing, I was able to follow you until you started reading from the text itself! thank you

[robebkk]

Skirt topic reminds me that commoners (both male+female) in some part of South India and South East Asia used to bear chest and wear loincloth. Colonization sent an urgent message to separate menswear and womenswear.

[Ozgipsy]

Thanks Ellie, I’ve been intimidated by this one.

I want to know more about “…one becomes a woman”.