Simone de Beauvoir & Sartre
A pact of free love that lasted half a century
The philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre never married or lived together: they made a pact of a "necessary" love open to "contingent" ones, an intellectual, free relationship that lasted 51 years.
01Why it matters
They redefined what a couple could be; Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" founded modern feminism.
02The conflict
Jealousy, parallel loves and the strain of the pact.
03The iconic moment
The two writing, table beside table, in the cafés of Saint-Germain.
04What survived
"The Second Sex"; their shared grave in Montparnasse.
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Simone de Beauvoir & Sartre famous?
They redefined what a couple could be; Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" founded modern feminism.
How does the story of Simone de Beauvoir & Sartre end?
The two writing, table beside table, in the cafés of Saint-Germain. "The Second Sex"; their shared grave in Montparnasse.
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