Woman As The "Other": Existencialism And Transcendence

existencialismo e transcendência

Abstract

: This article discusses Simone de Beauvoir's view on how social actions are perpetuated within society. It seeks to establish a relationship between existentialism and how it aids in the transcendence of women. To this end, the biological, psychoanalytic, and even historical materialist perspectives are analyzed to understand how they contribute to the immanence of women. Through Simone de Beauvoir’s perspective, the first chapter of the work Existentialism and the Wisdom of Nations (1945) is examined and compared with the first chapter of The Second Sex (1967). The objectives of this summary aim to establish a relationship between the first chapters of The Second Sex, namely The Data of Biology, The Psychoanalytic Point of View, and The Point of View of Historical Materialism, with the first chapter of Existentialism and the Wisdom of Nations. The specific objectives seek to present Beauvoir’s concept of existentialism, describe how the perpetuation and normalization of human actions—fears, religions, customs, and standards—occur, and relate the critique of biology, psychoanalysis, and historical materialism to existentialism. When addressing the first chapters of The Second Sex, we perceive a certain positioning of women in society. We ask ourselves: How can the existentialist perspective aid in the process of women's transcendence? The aim is to demonstrate how biological, social, and cultural conceptions contribute to the immanence of women and how the existentialist perspective can provide women with a new understanding of their social position. From the first three chapters of The Second Sex, we observe the conception of women's immanence. In contrast, existentialism offers a way to assist in the process of elevating and helping women rediscover themselves (transcend), according to Beauvoir. Finally, we address the existentialist critique of the morality of utilitarian interest, which perceives human beings based on the ends of their actions—everything they do has a goal to be achieved, and nothing is done without expecting some benefit. Thus, the issue we wish to present lies in the relationship between the existentialist perspective and the social position of women. The research methodology is a qualitative bibliographic review. It is concluded that the existentialist perspective is a possible aid for women in their process of transcendence and becomes a fundamental vision for the feminist conception in The Second Sex (1967).