Nous voulons poser à nouveau le problème de la caducité. Notre mémoire prend comme point de départ le discours de Simone de Beauvoir et, en le comparant avec le vécu des personnes âgées d'aujourd'hui, permet de voir l'évolution positive, et négative, qu'a connue notre société. Certes, nos aînés vivent de plus en plus leur vieillesse, mais il y a toujours un groupe d'entre eux qui ne peuvent que la subir. Cette mise à jour de notre attitude face à ce groupe de personnes, nous permettra d'envisager quelques solutions, sans pour autant demander à cette communauté de faire à elle seule tout le travail de réforme. Il va de soi que nos aînés ont à trouver leur place dans notre société et cela n'en sera que plus facile pour eux, si nous leur enlevons la barrière des préjugés.

Ce mémoire retrace l’évolution parallèle des concepts de genre et de sujet depuis Le deuxième sexe de Simone de Beauvoir jusqu’à la théorie du genre performatif et citationnel de Judith Butler. Dans un premier temps, nous considérons comment le concept de genre s’introduit dans la théorie féministe et y est envisagé tantôt comme un point de vue subjectif sur le monde, tantôt comme une structure sociale oppressive. En effet, dans le sillage de la dénaturalisation du sujet femme amorcée par Beauvoir, certaines autrices se concentrent sur l’aspect subjectif du genre, en prônant une valorisation de la différence féminine, tandis que d’autres, envisageant avant tout le genre comme une structure oppressive, visent l’égalité à travers son abolition. Nous montrons dans un deuxième temps comment la théorie butlérienne du genre, fondée sur une conception poststructuraliste du sujet constitué, permet de résoudre le conflit entre subjectivité et normativité en replaçant la norme au coeur de la constitution du sujet, et rend ainsi compte du genre à la fois comme structure essentielle du sujet et comme norme oppressive. Cette compréhension du genre nous permet aussi d’envisager la tâche du féminisme comme une transformation de la norme du genre et un effort constant pour déstabiliser et ouvrir les catégories qui composent l’identité du sujet. / This thesis retraces the parallel evolution of the concepts of gender and of the subject starting from Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex up to Judith Butler’s theory of gender as performative and citational. In the first chapter, I examine how “gender” is introduced into feminist philosophy and considered, alternatively, as a subjective view point and as an oppressive social structure. In the wake of Beauvoir’s attempt at denaturalizing “woman,”some feminists chose to focus on the subjective aspect of gender by valuing feminity as difference, while others, considering gender first and foremost as an oppressive structure, sought to achieve equality through its abolition. In the second chapter, I show how Butler’s account of gender, based in a poststructuralist understanding of the subject as constituted,resolves the conflict between normativity and subjectivity by conceiving of the norm as central to the subject. Gender is thus accounted for as both an essential component of subjectivity and an oppressive norm. This understanding of gender also entails that the task of feminism is defined as the transformation of the norm of gender, and as a constant effort to destabilize and open the categories that make up the identity of the subject.

xii, 278 p. / My dissertation is an existential-phenomenological account of human relations and ethics in dialogue with feminist care ethics. Using the work of Emmanuel Levinas, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Simone de Beauvoir, I describe how the ambiguity of human relationships results in an ambivalent ethical orientation, contingent as it is on negotiating the interrelated yet separable interests of the self and the other. Central to my work is a phenomenological description of maternal ambivalence (mothers' simultaneous desires to nurture and reject their children), an empirical case study that demonstrates how the conflicted nature of human relationships operates. Ultimately, I argue that ethical ambivalence is morally productive insofar as it helps one to avoid moral absolutism, recognize the alterity of others, attend to the particularities of situation, and negotiate one's own needs and desires with those of other people. This dissertation includes previously published material. / Committee in charge: Dr. Beata Stawarska, Co-Chair; Dr. Bonnie Mann, Co-Chair; Dr. Mark Johnson, Member; Dr. Sara Hodges, Outside Member

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-20T17:10:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-03-17. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-20T17:25:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000841155.pdf: 1220968 bytes, checksum: 94a3b7cbcbdfe790ec1a15a6f90c11f5 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Nesta pesquisa abordamos aspectos do feminismo pelo viés da crítica feminista anglo-americana em duas obras ficcionais publicadas no final dos anos sessenta e início da década de setenta: La Femme Rompue (1967), de Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), e A Fairly Honourable Defeat (1970), da escritora irlandesa Iris Murdoch (1919-1999). Primeiramente, estabelecemos um diálogo entre o pensamento filosófico de Beauvoir e o de Murdoch. Posteriormente, estabelecemos uma relação entre a crítica literária feminista e o pensamento beauvoiriano e murdochiano no que tange a questão do papel da mulher como leitora e escritora de textos literários. Dessa forma, examinamos o papel do leitor(a) como instância fundamental no processo de desconstrução do caráter discriminatório das ideologias de gênero e demonstramos que, assim como Virginia Woolf, Beauvoir e Murdoch defendem o conceito de androginia na literatura. Finalmente, analisamos os diferentes recursos estéticos que Beauvoir e Murdoch utilizam na caracterização de suas personagens femininas, uma vez que La Femme Rompue apresenta as características de um romance moderno, enquanto A Fairly Honourable Defeat possui traços de um romance realista / The aim of this research is to address some aspects of feminism from a feminist Anglo-American critical stance in two fictional works that have been published in the late sixties and early seventies: La Femme Rompue (1967) by Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) and A Fairly Honourable Defeat (1970) by the Irish writer Iris Murdoch (1919-1999). First, we establish a dialogue between the philosophical thought of Beauvoir and Murdoch. Then, we firm a relationship between feminist literary criticism and Beauvoir's and Murdoch's thoughts regarding the issue of women's role as a reader and as a writer of literary texts. Thus, we explore the role of the reader as a key instance in the process of deconstruction of the discriminatory nature of gender ideologies and we demonstrate that, just as Virginia Woolf, Beauvoir and Murdoch defended the concept of androgyny in literature. Finally, we analyze the different aesthetic features that Beauvoir and Murdoch use in the characterization of female characters, since La Femme Rompue presents the characteristics of a modern novel while A Fairly Honourable Defeat has some traces of a realist novel

La presente tesis analiza los presupuestos existencialistas del concepto de libertad de Simone de Beauvoir, con el fin de sostener que la concepción de libertad que Beauvoir emplea en El segundo sexo para referirse a la emancipación de la mujer tiene sus bases en sus primeros ensayos existencialistas. Así, defendemos que proyecto, intencionalidad, mala fe, angustia, facticidad, situación y trascendencia son algunos de los principales presupuestos sobre los que Beauvoir sustenta su noción de libertad. El análisis de los mismos nos lleva a rastrear la influencia de Husserl, Heidegger y Sartre en la conformación de estos en el pensamiento beauvoiriano. Nuestro estudio resulta necesario frente a la alarmante situación de violencia y discriminación hacia las mujeres en nuestro país, en tanto, pretende ofrecer herramientas filosóficas que permiten desvelar las razones de la opresión a la mujer. Con estos fines, la tesis se centra en la pregunta: ¿pueden las mujeres ser libres, a pesar de encontrarse en un universo masculino? Nuestra conclusión principal es que, según Beauvoir, para ser libres, las mujeres deben transformar el mundo “masculino” en el que se encuentran, transformación que no pueden emprender aisladamente, sino que requiere de una lucha colectiva y de una educación sexual que promuevan el “olvido” de las estructuras sociales que limitan las acciones de las mujeres exclusivamente a la “esencialidad” de lo femenino.

Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 5 juin 2023) / La pensée existentialiste de Beauvoir et les éthiques du care ont été la cible de critiques symétriques de la part des philosophes féministes au cours des dernières décennies. Avec la publication du Deuxième Sexe en 1945, Simone de Beauvoir démontre que l'oppression sexiste entraîne les femmes à la passivité et à la servitude, et exige la transformation nos sociétés pour permettre à toutes les personnes opprimées d'exercer leur liberté. Plusieurs féministes ont reproché à Beauvoir son exaltation de l'exercice de la liberté, qui inciterait les femmes à imiter les hommes, et sa sévère critique des attitudes comme des activités typiquement féminines, qui resterait aveugle à leur potentiel éthique. À partir des années 1980, les éthiques du care ont justement voulu souligner ce potentiel, en revalorisant les dispositions à la sollicitude développées par bien des femmes ainsi que les activités de prise en charge de la vulnérabilité humaine. Pourtant, on leur a reproché de proposer une éthique de la servitude, idéalisant des activités qui ont contribué à l'exploitation des femmes. Ce mémoire s'intéresse à la tension dévoilée par la réception de ces deux pensées féministes : comment prendre au sérieux l'effet nocif des attitudes et activités imposées aux femmes, sans en présenter une description caricaturale qui empêcherait de les considérer comme des sujets moraux ou invisibiliserait des activités essentielles à la survie de nos communautés ? Pour explorer cette tension, nous proposons un dialogue critique entre ses philosophies féministes, parfois afin de souligner leurs lacunes, parfois afin de nuancer les reproches qui leur ont été adressés et de souligner entre elles des points communs inattendus. Ce dialogue abordera trois thèmes : leur vision du sujet moral, leur conception du care, ainsi que leur évaluation des points de vue marginalisés.

Thèse de doctorat : Faculté des Lettres : Lund : 1989.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study critically explores the meaning of difference in continental philosophy. Concomitantly, it reflects on the norm, with regard to, firstly, the authorities within the philosophical community who take it upon themselves to distinguish, on a “corporate” and/or intellectual level, between the normal and that which is different from the norm; secondly, the apparatus of limitation employed to constitute, legitimate and reinforce this distinction, alongside distinctions between the conventional and the peculiar, the traditional and the marginal, the philosophical and the non-philosophical, the essential and the secondary or supplementary, as well as, the same (or subject) and the other. The focus on these distinctions is narrowed to the field of phenomenology, more particularly, how the anthropologistic readings of Phenomenology of Spirit by the exponents of early French phenomenology not only add force to the canonical reception of Hegel as a follower of a philosophical tradition governed by solipsism and individualism, but also perpetuate two traditional concepts; to wit, otherness as something threatening that must be overcome and self-other relationships as inexorably violent. A reinterpretation of the dialectic of recognition reveals not only Hegel’s appreciation of the degree to which subjectivity is indebted to otherness, but also his notion of friendship as the reciprocal preservation of the other’s otherness. This notion of friendship is appropriated by Simone de Beauvoir, whose engagement with Hegel constitutes a radical departure from French phenomenology; by implication, normal practice. Beauvoir, both personally and in her work, confronts the philosophical community with the short-sighted, often destructive, ways in which it delimits the canon, particularly with regard to its “othering” of women and its disregard for the specificity of difference. In keeping with the anthropological spirit of the respective readings of Hegel, the study itself takes the form of an autobiography. It traces the intellectual journey of a non-Western, non-white, non-male scholar, from her sense of not belonging in the world of continental philosophy, to her critical engagement with Hegel, mediated by Beauvoir. In the process it aims to show that otherness matters and how it matters. Furthermore, it calls for writing and reading differently so as to encourage non-hegemonic philosophy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ‘n kritiese verkenning van die betekenis van differensie in die kontinentale filosofie. Gepaardgaande hiermee, word besin oor die norm, met betrekking tot, eerstens, diegene wat gesaghebbend binne die filosofiese gemeenskap, d.w.s. met ‘n self-opgelegde mandaat om te onderskei, op ‘n “korporatiewe” en/of intellektuele vlak, tussen die norm en dit wat afwyk van die norm; en tweedens, die begrensing bepaal, wat aangewend word om hierdie onderskeid, tesame met onderskeidings tussen die konvensionele en die eie, die tradisionele en die marginale, die filosofiese en die nie-filosofiese, die sentrale en die sekondêre of aanvullende, asook (die)selfde (of subjek) en die ander, te konstitueer, legitimeer en versterk. Hierdie onderskeidings word ondersoek binne die veld van die fenomenologie; in die besonder, hoe die antropologistiese vertolkings van Phenomenology of Spirit, deur die verteenwoordigers van die vroeë Franse fenomenologie, die kanonieke beeld van Hegel as aanhanger van ‘n filosofiese tradisie, wat deur solipsisme en individualisme aangedryf word, bekragtig en daarmee saam twee tradisionele konsepte bestendig, naamlik, andersheid as ‘n bedreiging wat oorkom moet word en self-ander verhoudings as noodwendig gewelddadig. ‘n Herinterpretasie van die dialektiek van herkenning openbaar nie net Hegel se waarneming van die mate waartoe subjektiwiteit afhang van andersheid nie, maar ook sy idee van vriendskap as die wedersydse behoud van die ander se andersheid. Hierdie nosie van vriendskap word toe-geëien deur Simone de Beauvoir, wie se inskakeling met Hegel radikaal afwyk van die Franse fenomenologie, dus ook van standaard praktyk. Beauvoir, beide in persoon en in haar werk, konfronteer die filosofiese gemeenskap met die kortsigtige, dikwels afbrekende, wyse waarop hul die kanon begrens, veral met betrekking tot hul “be-andering” van vroue en hul minagting van die spesifisiteit van differensie. In ooreenstemming met die antropologiese gees van die onderskeie vertolkings van Hegel, neem die studie self die vorm van ‘n outobiografie aan. Dit volg die intellektuele verkenning van ‘n nie-Westerse, nie-wit, nie-manlike student, aanvanklik vanuit haar gevoel van ontuiswees in die wêreld van die kontinentale filosofie, tot haar kritiese inskakeling met Hegel, bemiddel deur Beauvoir. Hiermee wil die studie wys dat andersheid saak maak en hoe dit saak maak. Voorts beroep dit op ‘n anderse skryf en lees om sodoende nie-hegemoniese filosofie aan te moedig.

The thesis inquires into the theme of political judgement and aims to rethink it from the perspective of twentieth-century philosophies of existence. It seeks to take up the contemporary challenge of political judgement that remains inadequately addressed within recent theorizing: how, given the modern breakdown of metaphysical absolutes, to reinvigorate the human capacity for political judgement as a practical activity able to confront the ambiguous, plural and complex character of our postfoundational world. Against this background, the thesis aspires to reclaim the distinctly historical orientation of twentieth-century existentialism, in particular the work of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus and Hannah Arendt. It draws on their aesthetic sensibility to resuscitate the human judging ability in its worldly ambiguity and point towards an account of political judgement capable of facing up to the challenges of our plural and uncertain political reality. Retrieving their vigilant assumption of the situated, worldly condition of human political existence and the attendant perplexity of judging politically, the aim of the thesis is to suggest how the existentialists' insights can be brought to bear on contemporary problematics of political judgement that seem to elude the grasp of abstract standards and predetermined yardsticks.

In this dissertation I explain the transition from modernism to postmodernism through the study of the French existentialist novel. I follow theories that demonstrate that the latter owes its success to historiographic metafiction. By setting off the aporias that deeply penetrate modern novels, I demonstrate the obsolescence of the prototype of the realist novel and I explain the impasses towards which the project of a committed literature lead, inscribed in the line of realism and aimed at an almost direct relation with society and history through the mediation of art between 1945 and 1955 in France. / On one hand I consider literature as an object which can be described by the methodologies of history. On the other hand I suggest an analysis of the historicity of the text that is constituted by the dynamic system generated by the interaction, the interdependence, and the correlation of the poetic and aesthetic parameters and the factors of the historical context. My aim is to set off the poetic and aesthetic mecanism of stability and of transformation of literary creation according to the dynamic relation between the vector of the project associated to realism and the one of the prototype associated to the novel. I think that late modernism produces paradoxical configurations of the novel because it is the period in which the project of realism becomes lapsed and the prototype of the realist novel becomes dilapidated. / Among the works that are exemplary of the tension between fiction and history and between project and prototype in the framework of the representation of reality and of the inscription of history in novels, I identified Albert Camus' La Peste, Simone de Beauvoir's Les Mandarins and Jean-Paul Sartre's Les Chemins de la liberte . I conclude that the enterprise of committed literature was an aporias because it was generated from the impoverishment of the project of realism and the obsolescence of the prototype of the novel. Later literature was extricated, firstly, by the radically and extremely metafictional writing of the Nouveau Roman and, secondly, it was changed by postmodern historiographic metafiction. The crisis of history and of the writing of history was solved by works in which there is the acknowledgement and the use of sophisticated mediations to evoke and inscribe history in different ways.