Feminism
Rediscovering Simone de Beauvoir
How did Simone de Beauvoir redefine the image of women?
Writer, philosopher and feminist, Simone de Beauvoir was above all a free woman. She won her freedom very young. Seeing through her mother the place assigned to women, she broke free from the codes of her time: she refused marriage, went to university and worked. Independent, the philosopher was also a passionate woman, a tireless traveller and a loyal friend.
Through the life choices, commitments and thought of the writer, Hélène Soumet paints the portrait of a woman who lived “the adventure of being oneself”. Even today, Simone de Beauvoir questions morality, unsettles our relationship to femininity and opens a path so that woman may never again be man’s Other.
Published May 2023
Press contact
Estelle Drouard : 01 41 23 66 11 | 06 83 99 35 57 edrouard@dunod.com
“The world won’t give you any gifts, believe me… If you want a life, steal it!”
Discover the inspiring journeys of Mulan, Joan of Arc, George Sand, women pirates and Cossacks, and contemporary heroines such as an aviator or an Afghan factory worker – bold women who refused a cloistered life and dressed as men in order to travel, create, write, heal and fight in the wide world…
These portraits of rebellious women still resonate in a world where rights are never won for good.
Published 17 February 2021
Press contact
Estelle Drouard : 01 41 23 66 11 | 06 83 99 35 57 edrouard@dunod.com
The world won’t give you any gifts, believe me…
If you want a life, steal it!
Taken from Lou Andreas-Salomé’s memoirs, this imperious command could be the motto of these intensely free women who had no choice but to cross-dress – to steal a man’s identity in order to live as they wished.
Mystics, warriors, scholars, adventurers or artists, forgotten figures or women who became legends for daring to defy the ultimate taboo, they all shared a thirst to live their own way, against all odds: society’s indifference, the weight of religion and, everywhere, male domination. Discover the story of these bold women who chose to live as men’s equals!
5th century BC, Athens.
Ariston wants his son Plato to go into politics and his daughter Potone to marry. But everything goes wrong in this family: young Plato decides to follow an old man nicknamed the “Torpedo
Ray” (Socrates’ nickname), and Potone refuses to marry, preferring above all to go to school – but school is forbidden to girls.
A book that sparks the desire to discover history and to talk it over, young and old together!
French edition available in bookshops and from online retailers, including:
Choose from
The author’s books (French editions)
Les stoïciens à la Plage
Discover a true school of serenity and calm in the pleasant company of the ancient philosophers.
Rousseau à la Plage
More than ever, Rousseau reminds us that happiness lies in the love of nature and in frugality.
Beauvoir à la Plage
Rediscovering Simone de Beauvoir.
Ma Dose Quotidienne de Philo
A thought, an idea for every day: joyful philosophy.
Platon à la Plage
Getting to know and understand the greatest Greek genius through his surprising, adventurous life.
Épicure à la Plage
Let us at last learn to be truly happy with Epicurus.
Le Petit Larousse des Grands Philosophes
Finally understand the most famous philosophers, in an illustrated edition that sets out their thought clearly and pleasantly.
La Philosophie pour ceux qui ont tout oublié
Rediscover the pleasure of philosophy years later. Time has passed, and the desire to understand the world of ideas has grown.
Le Lit de Procuste
Enjoy the stories of the myths and finally understand what they mean today.
Insoumises et conquérantes
A breath of optimism: the breathtaking biographies of 23 daring, bold and unforgettable women.
Les Travesties de l’Histoire
Women have always rebelled: some wanted to live freely and dressed as men. Incredible and delightful.
Platon, sa sœur et la raie torpille
An almost true story showing the injustice done to the little girls of Athens, who were denied schooling.
Le Monde special issue
Philosophy
Games to learn and to test yourself. A fascinating journey from the Presocratics to contemporary thinkers.
Grand QUIZ du Monde
(Collective work)
A playful book that refreshes your knowledge of the history of ideas and of the world.
Cahiers Ludiques et Savants
Fascinating, enriching games for curious minds and lovers of culture and history.
La Philosophie dans votre poche
Revise the essentials at a glance and rediscover the philosophy syllabus: clear and concise.
Le bac philo en 100 citations expliquées
“A real treasure” for final-year students and for readers who want an introduction to philosophy.
Passeport Spécial Philo
A joyful introduction to philosophy, for a successful start to the final school year and for curious minds.