Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
The French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir (1908-86) was at the height of her influence after the publication of her landmark feminist treatise The Second Sex (1949) and of her acclaimed novel The Mandarins (1954). In the wake of the Second World War, alongside Albert Camus as well as her lover Jean-Paul Sartre, she had set out to usher in a new society built around ideals of freedom and justice. In doing so, the trio had also helped to ignite movements in the US and France whose adherents sought to spread existentialist philosophy through writing and art – or, at the very least, have a raucous good time. By the time this interview with Beauvoir aired on Canadian television in 1959, Camus and Sartre had already fallen out over communism and abandoned the existentialist label. Still, Beauvoir is able to make a compelling point for the value of ideology even as she distances the values of the existentialist cause from, in the interviewer’s words, the ‘noisy, rowdy jazz-loving young people’ they inspired. In this wide-ranging interview, Beauvoir also discusses her views on the intersection of philosophy and political activism, and the condition of women worldwide, offering insights into the cultural moment as well as her deeply held beliefs on philosophy and the human condition.
For more on Beauvoir, read this Aeon Idea.
video
Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
video
Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
video
Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
video
Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes
video
Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
video
The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
video
Ethics
For Iris Murdoch, selfishness is a fault that can be solved by reframing the world
6 minutes
video
Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes
video
Love and friendship
After his son’s terrorist attack, Azdyne seeks healing – and his granddaughter
25 minutes