Ideas and Ideals: Reading de Beauvoir Today

As book lovers, ardent feminists, and philosophers alike rejoice over the US release of Simone de Beauvoir’s never-before-published Inseparable (trans. by Sandra Smith, ed. Ecco), the latest installment of Ideas and Ideals: Strong Female Voices explores the question of female submission with philosophers and de Beauvoir experts Manon Garcia and Skye Cleary.

Manon Garcia is the author of We Are Not Born Submissive: How Patriarchy Shapes Women’s Lives, an essay published this past spring by Princeton University Press that explores female submission in all of its nuances using insights from feminist thinkers—especially Simone de Beauvoir. Her essay takes a closer look at the concept of submission, acknowledging its appeal in certain instances and not buying into an antifeminist, sexist, or misogynistic perspective.

Skye Cleary has written extensively about love and existentialism. She is currently at work on a book about the philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir, to be published next year.

The two philosophers will discuss the complexities of women’s lived experience, the role women play in the perpetuation of patriarchy, and how de Beauvoir has informed their views on gender, justice, and submission. As they reflect on how hierarchies shape women’s experience, Manon Garcia and Skye Cleary will heed a call to take control of our own destinies. This conversation will be moderated by Abby Kluchin.