The Second Sex (two volumes in total)

The Second Sex (French: Le Deuxième Sexe) is an essay on existentialism and feminism written and published in 1949 when Simone de Beauvoir was 41 years old. The whole work is divided into two volumes, which are recognized as a philosophical work. Beauvoir chooses to discuss from the perspective of existentialism. Because of this, her work is not only a simple discussion of the situation of women after World War II, in general, it is a philosophical work, from literature, history, sociology, biology and medicine. Provide rich examples and analysis. The idea that the whole work wants to convey is that no woman's fate is planned. Excluding human determinism, Beauvoir paid attention to and discussed in her works both the fact that women are weak and the inherent reasons that lead to this fact. Regarding this issue, existentialism implies the responsibility of the whole human being: Beauvoir not only accuses men of discriminatory, despicable and sometimes cruel actions towards women, but also points out that women are also responsible for their own weak status. Beauvoir saw them as passive, submissive, and unambitious. The author therefore believes that the success of women's emancipation can only be achieved by the firm will of both men and women. In Beauvoir's view, women's emancipation must rely on the following two channels: the right to self-determination of whether to bear children and work. "The Second Sex" has been translated into various languages ​​and has sold more than several million copies worldwide. It is still the "Bible" of feminist philosophy to this day.