The Second Sex

Following the introduction, Beauvoir examines three possible sources of explanations for why women are subordinate to men: biology, psychoanalysis, and the Marxist view of history. Beauvoir begins by giving an overview of what the biological science of her day says about reproduction and gender. First, she notes how modern biological discoveries have shown that sexes and sexual reproduction are not universal to life. For example, amoeba reproduce asexually, by splitting into two new amoebae.

Before such scientific advancements, ancient philosophers did believe sexual differentiation was universal. Further, it was believed until the 19th century that women simply incubated the seed. Since then, scientific discoveries concerning human reproduction have shown that men have less of a role in reproduction than previously thought.

Examining what science has learned about reproduction among mammals, Beauvoir writes that male mammals often abandon their young to protect the entire group. Meanwhile, a female mammal after giving birth “abdicates” her individuality “for the benefit of the species that demands this abdication” (36). This is an important point for Beauvoir. Although she argues femininity is constructed by society, she does also believe that women are limited in important ways by their reproductive functions. Men do not share these restrictions men.

Although reproduction does not define women, Beauvoir argues that it is a significant part of women’s lived experience. As she writes, “[w]omen is her body as man is his, but her body is something other than her” (41). This “something other” is the womb, the experience of menstruation, and the ability to have children. The effect of biological experiences like menstruation and pregnancy is that women are alienated from their own bodies in a way men do not experience. Beauvoir further argues that hormones make her physically weaker and more emotional.

Still, Beauvoir adds that these biological limitations are resisted by women, writing, “This is the most striking conclusion of this study: [the human woman] is the most deeply alienated of all the female mammals, and she is the one that refuses this alienation most violently[…]” (44). Despite these innate biological factors, Beauvoir does not believe that they explain why women are marginalized. Humans are not limited by their own biology like other animals. Instead, the subordination of women is based on women’s “economic and social situation” (47).

In sum, Beauvoir suggests that female mammals, including humans, are hindered by their reproductive systems. Still, this does not justify how women are viewed culturally. A key characteristic of human existence is overcoming biological limitations. It is possible for women to overcome their biology, too. Because of this, Beauvoir explains that “the woman’s body is one of the essential elements of the situation she occupies in this world. But her body is not enough to define her […] biology alone cannot provide an answer to the question that concerns: why is woman the Other?” (48).