We were inspired to look more closely at some of the key figures that appear in our Little History books by an interaction with a reader on the Little History facebook page. We really liked the idea of finding out what the series has to say about all sorts of ‘remarkable people’, both heroes and villains, and we’re putting together this resource for you to explore. Whether you’re looking for help with your homework (!), or trying to fill a gap in your knowledge, Little History books and their cast of characters have plenty to offer.
Simone de Beauvior
French writer, philosopher, political activist and feminist
1908 – 1986
Simone de Beauvior was a French writer, feminist and existentialist philosopher. She is best known for her novel, She Came to Stay (1943), her treatise, The Second Sex (1949), and her long-term relationship with fellow existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre. In The Second Sex de Beauvior argues that women are as capable of choice as men and are therefore able to move beyond the ‘immanence’ and reach ‘transcendence’. Previous philosophers had believed that women were not able to reach this position of freedom, choice and responsibility.
We all grow up incessantly asking our parents, teachers and peers ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’. Some people never stop. In the illuminating and very readable A Little History of Philosophy, Nigel Warburton tells us about 40 of the most special questioners a …