The ethics of ambiguity, trSimone de Beauvoir, novelist, dramatist, and philosopher, was the most distinguished woman writer in modern France. A leading exponent of French existentialism, her work complements, though it is independent of, that of Jean-Paul Sartre. In "The Ethics of Ambiguity," Madame de Beauvoir penetrates at once to the central ethical problems of modern man: what shall he do, how shall he go about making values, in the face of this awareness of the absurdity of his existence? She forces the reader to face the absurdity of the human condition and then, having done so, proceeds to develop a dialectic of ambiguity which will enable him not to master the chaos, but to create with it. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
absolute abstract absurd action adventurer ambiguity anguish appears aspect assert assume attitude cause child choice choose clinamen concrete condemned condition condottiere confirm consider contingency contrary death defined deny Descartes desire dialectic disclosed engaged escape ethics ETHICS OF AMBIGUITY existence existentialism existentialist existentialist ethics external fact facticity failure fascism feels finite fleeing freedom fulfill future genuine give goal Hegel Hegelian hesitate human idea indefinite indifference individual insofar justify Kantian lack liberation limits living longer Marxist means moral movement Nazism negation negative never nihilism nihilist nothingness object oneself free ontology oppression oppressor outrage particular party passion political posi positive possible present problem proletariat pure realize recognized refuse rejection resignation revolt sacrifice Sartre seek SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR situation solipsism sophism spontaneity Stalinist struggle sub-man subjectivity surpassing thereby thing tion transcendence truth tyranny tyrant universe values violence word