Simone de Beauvoir, Pour une morale de l'ambiguité [The Ethics of Ambiguity]

Vassilis Manoussakis (University of the Peloponnese)

Ed. by David Houston Jones, University of Exeter
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.07: French Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Averis (University of Western Australia), Hugo Azerad (University of Cambridge), Patrick ffrench (King's College London), Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Akane Kawakami (Birkbeck, University of London), Siobhán McIlvanney (King's College London), Sinan Richards (King's College London), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1947

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Essays/ Lectures (any)
Morality

Resources

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A year after the publication of her first novel (

L' Invitée

, 1943) Simone de Beauvoir wrote her first philosophical essay, under the original title of “Pyrrhus and Cineas”. Beauvoir begins her discussion of ethical and political issues and the notion of freedom within society with an imaginary dialogue between Pyrrhus, the ancient king of Epirus, in Greece, and his chief advisor Cineas. Each time Pyrrhus makes a declaration concerning the lands that he intends to conquer, Cineas asks him what he will do next. Finally, Pyrrhus, slightly annoyed, exclaims that after his campaign is completed, he intends to rest and Cineas then asks him why he does not rest right away. This essay, then, is based on the existential question why one should act and what the motives of action are. The essay…

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1471 words

Citation: Manoussakis, Vassilis. "Pour une morale de l'ambiguité". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 December 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11129, accessed 22 November 2024.]

Simone de Beauvoir, Pour une morale de l'ambiguité [The Ethics of Ambiguity]

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