The book details the responsibility and freedom of humans as well as the meaning of life. Simone De Beauvoir, the author, argues that humans tend to perceive ambiguities of life through choices and actions. Freedom is important to human beings. Therefore, they experience it as a determination to the meaning of life. However, such freedom is limited according to their perspectives. The existence of humans is ambiguous because it is torn between internal desire and feeling beyond control. The author notes that human beings ought to experience ambiguity to lead an ethical life.
De Beauvoir outlines three kinds of humans who experience ambiguities in their own right. The first kind of human is sub-man. According to De Beauvoir, this kind of person does nothing because he is always scared of the consequences of his actions. Such type of people does not enjoy freedom because they deny it. Further, sub-man fears taking responsibility for his actions. In most cases, a sub-man chooses and follows a set form of values or standards from external sources. Sub-man lacks independence, and his beliefs are based on the opinions of another person. In short, a sub-man does not believe in himself.
The second kind of human described by De Beauvoir is a nihilist. The nihilist is the kind of person who despairs quickly because he believes that there are no absolute moral values. Many are times when these kinds of people create disorder and anarchy. Nihilists don’t see the need to be serious in life. The third kind of person is the adventurer. De Beauvoir describes such a type of a human as a person close to authentic moral values. However, the adventurer is only interested in his freedom. People should give others the freedom to attain their own freedom. We should not create challenges that destroy other people’s freedoms.
