"The point is not for women simply to take power out of men’s hands, since that wouldn’t change anything about the world. It’s a question precisely of destroying that notion of power."
"A freedom which is interested only in denying freedom must be denied. And it is not true that the recognition of the freedom of others limits my own freedom: to be free is not to have the power to do anything you like; it is to be able to surpass the given toward an open future; the existence of others as a freedom defines my situation and is even the condition of my own freedom. I am oppressed if I am thrown into prison, but not if I am kept from throwing my neighbor into prison."
50 likes
Source: Simone de Beauvoir (1948). “The Ethics of Ambiguity”
About the author
Same author
More quotes by Simone de Beauvoir
"No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility."
"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay."
"I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself"
"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion."
"All oppression creates a state of war."