Q0092
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” — Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Second Sex. Theme: self.
English
One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Second Sex and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) was a French existentialist philosopher and novelist whose The Second Sex (1949) transformed feminist theory. A Normalienne, she partnered intellectually with Sartre while building an independent oeuvre on ethics, aging, and politics.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, freedom.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Simone de Beauvoir. (n.d.). One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0092
MLA: Simone de Beauvoir. “One is not born, but rather becomes, a….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0092.
Chicago: Simone de Beauvoir. “One is not born, but rather becomes, a….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0092.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “One is not born, but rather becomes, a…”?
The passage is attributed to Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex. The archive attributes this English wording to The Second Sex and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Simone de Beauvoir mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, freedom.