Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, nor was she considered one at the time of her death, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory.
Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir at the Balzac Memorial
Antonio Núñez Jiménez, Beauvoir, Sartre and Che Guevara in Cuba, 1960.
Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Beauvoir, Sartre in Cairo, 1967.
Algren in 1956
Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the issue of human existence. Existentialist philosophers explore questions related to the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence. Common concepts in existentialist thought include existential crisis, dread, and anxiety in the face of an absurd world and free will, as well as authenticity, courage, and virtue.
Sisyphus, the symbol of the absurdity of existence, painting by Franz Stuck (1920)
French philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir
French philosopher, novelist, and playwright Albert Camus
Adolphe Menjou (left) and Kirk Douglas (right) in Paths of Glory (1957)
