De Beauvoir and the Second Sex: a Marxist Interpretation
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THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL De Beauvoir and The Second Sex: A Marxist Interpretation being a Thesis submitted for the Degree of PhD in the University of Hull by Angela Shepherd, BA (hons) Philosophy, MA Philosophy of Mind and Body December 2015 1 ABSTRACT The Second Sex is Simone de Beauvoir’s seminal text. There have been numerous interpretations and critiques of this text since its inception in 1949. Most notable is the reading of her work as merely incorporating Sartrean existentialism and applying it to the social position of women. However recent theoretical discussion recognises her work as also an exploration of Marxism and this thesis follows that line of argument as, read in this context, the distinctiveness of her philosophical contribution can be made visible. Chapter one, endorses Marx’s historical materialism. Historically variable material conditions lead to historically variable human characteristics. De Beauvoir’s focus is with regard to women. Chapter two introduces the One and Other as a feature of human consciousness and a feature of women’s social oppression. Her account of why this structure explains women’s oppression is inspired by Marx’s historical materialism. Chapter three concerns the myths of femininity which also contribute to women’s oppression and are ideological in the Marxist sense of the word. Myths are productive, yet distorting and false, with the aim being to promote the interests of the powerful at the expense of those who are powerless. Chapter four expresses de Beauvoir’s views on the body insisting that the experience of biology as oppressive is a consequence of what culture makes of the body, again, utilising Marx’s historical materialism. Chapter five describes women’s lives as conditioned by historical, economic and material conditions structured by ideological myths which distort women’s human potential. Chapter six suggests freedom for de Beauvoir differs from Sartre. The meaning and value which condition the lives of individuals are informed by social structures which humans create within an historical and discursive context. Freedom for de Beauvoir, incorporating Marxist insights, is only possible with structural, economic and ideological change. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all my family and friends who have helped me throughout the time it has taken to write this thesis; you have my warmest gratitude and appreciation. There are however, a few people for whom I would like to give special thanks: Kathleen Lennon, for all your knowledge, help and support throughout the whole period of time, I’m not sure I would have got this far without. Stella Gonzalez-Arnal, for taking over as my first supervisor and for keeping me on the straight and narrow. Jen Hodges, my IT crisis support, and friend. Bruce Paynter, for proof reading my entire thesis…..and enjoying doing it! Matt Paynter, for taking over when I needed time to work. Last, but not least for my daughter Imogen, for understanding when Mummy has had to work……and for just being fab! 3 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7 The Reception of de Beauvoir ............................................................................. 8 The Philosophical Influences of de Beauvoir .................................................... 11 Chronology......................................................................................................... 12 The Second Sex and later feminist thought ....................................................... 16 Marxist Feminism .............................................................................................. 17 Radical Feminism .............................................................................................. 18 Socialist Feminism ............................................................................................. 18 Chapter One ....................................................................................................... 19 Chapter Two ....................................................................................................... 19 Chapter Three ..................................................................................................... 20 Chapter Four ...................................................................................................... 21 Chapter Five ....................................................................................................... 22 Chapter Six ......................................................................................................... 23 After The Second Sex ......................................................................................... 24 Chapter One - HISTORICAL MATERIALISM ....................................................... 26 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 26 Human Nature .................................................................................................... 27 Historical Materialism........................................................................................ 32 Marx, the development of capitalism and its critique ........................................ 33 Is liberation achievable? ..................................................................................... 36 Marx and Engels on the position of women ...................................................... 37 De Beauvoir as an endorsement and development of Marx and Engels ............ 41 Alienation ........................................................................................................... 46 Capitalism and Patriarchy .................................................................................. 49 The One and the Other ....................................................................................... 51 The contribution of phenomenology: meaning and lived experience ................ 52 Summary: Can liberation for women be achieved? ........................................... 53 Chapter Two - THE OTHER ..................................................................................... 55 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 55 De Beauvoir and the Other................................................................................. 56 De Beauvoir and woman as Other ..................................................................... 57 Hegel’s conceptions of the Other: The Master/Slave dialectic .......................... 58 4 Marx and the material Other ....................................................................... 60 Kojève: a Marxist and Hegelian dialectic .......................................................... 62 Existentialist conceptions of the Other .............................................................. 64 The Individual Other .......................................................................................... 64 The Social Other ................................................................................................ 69 Woman as Other................................................................................................. 71 Why is woman the Absolute Other? .................................................................. 77 Summary: Critical Reflections ........................................................................... 82 De Beauvoir’s later writings and the Category of the Other .............................. 84 Chapter Three - MYTHS ........................................................................................... 88 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 88 Marx, myth as Ideology ..................................................................................... 89 Myths and what they do ..................................................................................... 93 Myths about women: content ...................................................................... 94 The productivity of myth ................................................................................... 99 Can myths be dislodged? ................................................................................. 102 Social Imaginaries ............................................................................................ 104 Chapter Four - THE BODY ..................................................................................... 109 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 109 Marx’s conceptions of the Body ...................................................................... 110 Existential and Phenomenological accounts of the body ................................. 112 The Objective Body for Sartre ......................................................................... 114 The Lived Body as Central .............................................................................. 114 The invisible Body (the body for the self) ....................................................... 114 Body for Others ...............................................................................................