The Ethics Of Ambiguity

Philosophy is a dialectic tradition and, abiding by that tradition, The Ethics of Ambiguity puts itself in conversation with a range of other philosophical schools of thought.

A critique of the German idealist philosopher Hegel runs throughout the text. Though Hegel is just one of the philosophers she addresses (Kant, Marx, Descartes, and Sartre are addressed, too), Hegel is discussed frequently because his ideas seem to most directly contradict de Beauvoir’s. Essentially, Hegel believes in absolutist values, which is in stark contrast to the ambiguous truths embraced by the existentialists. Hegel’s philosophy then, in pursuit of an absolute ideal, would justify the sacrifice of innumerable individuals to achieve this goal. De Beauvoir, on the other hand, is relentless in her insistence that oppression and tyranny must be avoided at all costs. 

Throughout the text, de Beauvoir uses real-world historical events to illustrate various philosophical principles. She mentions Stalingrad, the site of a major World War II battle in Russia, as well as Buchenwald, the location of a concentration camp in Germany. World War II references abound, supporting the book’s larger themes. While the bulk of the historical examples are from World War II, de Beauvoir also makes mention of America’s enslavement of African-Americans, as well as the subordination of women worldwide: