New Delhi, April 13 -- Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) was a French philosopher, novelist, and social theorist, considered one of the key figures in modern feminism and existentialism.

Simone de Beauvoir reveals a deep yet often unnoticed bias within social thought. She argues that the idea of the "human" is frequently and unconsciously aligned with the male, while the female is seen as a variation or departure from that standard.

Within this perspective, when women exhibit qualities regarded as universally human, such as assertiveness, intelligence, ambition, or independence, they are not seen as expressing their humanity, but are instead criticised for imitating men.

Simone de Beauvoir approached existentialism as a philosophy of free...