KFL9035 – Early Beauvoir: Moral philosophy, ethics, and existentialism

Simone de Beauvoir was the only existentialist of her time to publish an ethics. Not only is her ethics unique in her era, it is also distinctly different from other ethical theories such as deontology, utilitarianism and virtue ethics. Moreover, it lays the foundation for Beauvoir’s later and more well-known works The Second Sex and The Coming of Age, and it is highly relevant for analyzing pressing ethical challenges in our own times.

This course is intended for PhD students working on Simone de Beauvoir who would benefit from a deep understanding of her philosophical beginnings and early publications, considering her ethics as important for their projects. We will thoroughly examine Beauvoir's ethics, focusing on the metaethical assumptions it is based on, how it can be systematized as a normative ethical theory, and how it can be applied to concrete ethical challenges. We will also consider the metaphysical underpinnings of existentialist ethics in regard to Beauvoir’s concepts such as the individual, the world, consciousness, and freedom. Finally, we will study Beauvoir’s philosophy using a holistic method that considers her ethics across the many genres she wrote in and in relation to current debates and advances in Beauvoir scholarship.

Beauvoir's two moral philosophical essays, Phyrrhus and Cinéas and The Ethics of Ambiguity, will be the central texts of the course, and we will also explore several lesser-known essays from the early period of Beauvoir's authorship compiled in English translation in Philosophical Writings, edited by Margaret A. Simons. Additionally, we will include excerpts from her literary works during this period where her ethics plays a central role, such as The Bloods of Others, as well as some of the philosophical and ethical reflections she made during this time available in her diaries.

Students will read Beauvoir's primary texts in English, and these texts will form the basis for lectures and discussions. The students will also receive recommendations for secondary literature that can assist in their work on their thesis or dissertation. This course is intended as the first in a series of three courses (Early Beauvoir, Middle Beauvoir, and Late Beauvoir) designed for students writing their thesis on Simone de Beauvoir.

Knowledge

• Gain insight into Simone de Beauvoir’s ethics, moral philosophy, and existentialism through the study of central works from her early period.
• Gain insight into the metaphysical underpinnings of her ethical theories.
• Understand the significance and implications of Beauvoir’s key concepts such as freedom, transcendence, (in)authenticity, consciousness, and the individual within existentialist thought.
• Acquire knowledge of how Beauvoir’s ethical unique stance compares to deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.
• Acquire knowledge of the historical and intellectual context of Beauvoir's work.
• Develop an understanding of relationship between philosophical ideas and their articulation through literature, particularly in her literary works.

• Develop an understanding of the current landscape of Beauvoir scholarship, including major debates and advances in the field.

Skills

• Develop skills in moral reasoning and critical thinking through comprehensive readings of primary texts and related scholarly discussions.

• Cultivate the ability to systematically analyze and apply Beauvoir’s ethical theories to contemporary real-world ethical challenges.

• Gain experience in engaging with secondary literature that supports doctoral research and contributes to the understanding of Beauvoir's work.

• Enhance presentation skills through the requirement of giving an oral presentation on course materials.

• Improve collaborative skills through participation in discussions and group work with peers from diverse academic backgrounds.

• Learn to critically evaluate methodological approaches when studying women and other marginalized philosophers, enhancing research design and analysis capabilities.

Competence

• Develop competence in reflecting on the relationship between lived experience and philosophy, allowing for a deeper personal engagement with ethical and existential questions.

• Gain a foundation for conducting independent research on Simone de Beauvoir, including the ability to identify and articulate unique research questions.

• Engage with fellow doctoral students focusing on Beauvoir, fostering a collaborative intellectual community for shared learning and feedback.

• Situate Beauvoir's ethics within contemporary philosophical, ethical, methodological and feminist discussions.

• Cultivate the ability to critically engage with and contribute to ongoing debates in Beauvoir scholarship, preparing for future academic conferences and publications.

A brief letter of motivation (1-2 pages) that includes:

The topic of your thesis

Name of your thesis advisor

Confirmation that you have been admitted to a PhD program (e.g. printout from Studentweb) and the university where you are doing graduate work

Your project’s relationship to Beauvoir’s work in general and the early period of Beauvoir’s work in particular

Documentation and questions can be sent to postmottak@stk.uio.no before March 1th 2026

Master's students specializing in Beauvoir may attend the sessions; however, they will not be eligible to take exams or earn academic credits

The course is digital and consists of online lectures and seminars/small group work, in which students are expected to actively participate. Students on campus at the University of Oslo will have the opportunity to attend the lectures together in a seminar room at STK.

Students must prepare for each session by reading the syllabus texts before class. Additionally, students are expected to give one oral presentation during the course. A minimum of 80% attendance in the seminars/group work is required to be eligible to take the exam. Attendance will be registered.

The course takes place June 8th to 12th, 1 to 5 PM (Norwegian time).

PhD students taking this course must submit an essay that is 4,000-6,000 words long after the course is completed. The essay should relate to the student’s own PhD research but must also be based on the course literature and discuss a theoretical issue relevant to the course content. The research question for the essay must be approved by the instructor. Further specifications and requirements for the essay will be provided to participants at the start of the course.

When writing the essay, students are entitled to receive individual tutoring. Individual tutoring requires the advance submission of a draft version to the instructors no later than three weeks after the last day of instruction.