SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Philosophy

CONTRIBUTORS:

Chukwu, E. N.
Mbaegbu, C.C.

ABSTRACT:

The problem of exploitation, oppression and inequality is as old as human existence on earth. This Simone De Beauvoir addressed, also, in her work, ‘The Second Sex’, published in 1949. However, her thesis rests on gender inequality, women emancipation, freedom and self-realization. As an existentialist, Beauvoir addresses the reality of sexual difference of the contemporary world by insisting that “one is not born but rather becomes a woman”. This is based on her understanding of the social situation of the ‘Other’ in Hegel’s account of master-slave dialectics, which she designates as ‘Subject’ and ‘Other’. Therefore, The Second Sex exposes the problems of women situation, what is change and what remains to be done without ignoring the importance of women gaining their political, economic rights and otherwise. To properly reveal this, the study employed the method of hermeneutics to interpret, examine and evaluate the Second Sex. This reveals, also, that the society, especially African society, has ignored the economic aspects of women liberation, and is inattentive to the ways in which the norms of masculinity remain the standard of defining the human in the world. The work in conclusion maintained that Beauvoir’s ideas in emancipation of women should be cultivated and carefully utilized in the struggle of women liberation in the world, and, of most importance, Africa.