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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does human spontaneity give purpose to a human life, according to Beauvoir?

2. How does Beauvoir compare women to slaves?

3. How does Beauvoir claim that a spontaneous action, or flight, can be converted into will?

4. To what does Beauvoir compare the "sub-man" in his relationship to ethics and facticity?

5. How does Beauvoir suggest a child has a state of security?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Beauvoir claim that man can disclose being?

2. How does Beauvoir explain the characteristic feature of all ethics?

3. How does Beauvoir characterize Dualists?

4. How does Beauvoir describe the difference between Marxists and existentialist?

5. How does Beauvoir define the child's world?

6. What faces the adolescent who is being liberated from the infantile world, according to Beauvoir?

7. How does Beauvoir explain that willing bad is possible?

8. What does Beauvoir report that Sartre taught regarding the being of man?

9. How does Beauvoir show that the "sub-man" passes into being a serious man?

10. How does Beauvoir explain that adult lives can slip by in an infantile world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Beauvoir uses three stages of human development (childhood, adolescence, and adulthood) to explain the progression to free will. Summarize Beauvoir's thoughts on these three stages and give personal examples that prove her observations.

Essay Topic 2

Does Beauvoir consider the source of oppression to be individuals or a natural state that people accept and use for their own purposes. Explain your answer with support from "The Ethics of Ambiguity" and at least one example from history or current events.

Essay Topic 3

Beauvoir devotes her section on "Ambiguity" to answering criticism of her views regarding its role in personal freedom. Compare and contrast Beauvoir's position to those that she answers both in Chapter Three and earlier in the book. What are of Beauvoir's views on ambiguity as well as those which dissent with her view? What are the disadvantages of each? Do you agree with Beauvoir or her detractors. Explain your answer.

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