Q0507
“Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of…” — Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex (1949), Introduction)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Second Sex (1949), Introduction. Theme: otherness.
English
Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Second Sex (1949), Introduction 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
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, knowledge, power.
Concepts in this quote
- Otherness
- Otherness appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat otherness as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
- Power
- Power is the capacity to affect others and to shape what counts as possible—central to politics and ethics.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Simone de Beauvoir. (n.d.). Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0507
MLA: Simone de Beauvoir. “Representation of the world, like the world itself,….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0507.
Chicago: Simone de Beauvoir. “Representation of the world, like the world itself,….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0507.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Representation of the world, like the world itself,…”?
The passage is attributed to Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (1949), Introduction. The archive attributes this English wording to The Second Sex (1949), Introduction 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 otherness?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, knowledge, power.