Simone de Beauvoir was a towering figure whose work shaped how we think about gender, race, aging and death, citizenship, and the good life. Her groundbreaking feminist opus The Second Sex challenged taboos and sparked transnational political movements. This course explores Beauvoir’s interdisciplinary work and legacy through multiple media. Pairing her writings with responses from contemporary authors and filmmakers (including Sara Ahmed, James Baldwin, Annie Ernaux, Paul B. Preciado, and Agnès Varda), we will investigate why her radical techniques continue to inspire feminist activists and artists today.
