Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. Existentialism is a philosophical and cultural movement which holds that the starting point of philosophical thinking must be the individual and the experiences of the individual, that moral thinking and scientific thinking together are not sufficient for understanding all of human existence, and, therefore, that a further set of categories, governed by the norm of authenticity, is necessary to understand human existence. (Authenticity, in the context of existentialism, is to recognize the responsibility we have for our existence.) This philosophy analyzes relationships between the individual and things, or other human beings, and how they limit or condition choice.
Existentialist feminists emphasize concepts such as freedom, interpersonal relationships, and the experience of living as a human body. They value the capacity for radical change, but recognize that factors such as self-deception and the anxiety caused by the possibility of change can limit it. Many are dedicated to exposing and undermining socially imposed gender roles and cultural constructs limiting women's self-determination, and criticize post-structuralist feminists who deny the intrinsic freedom of individual women. A woman who makes considered choices regarding her way of life and suffers the anxiety associated with that freedom, isolation, or nonconformity, yet remains free, demonstrates the tenets of existentialism. <!-- questioned link --> The novels of Kate Chopin, Doris Lessing, Joan Didion, Margaret Atwood, and Margaret Drabble include such existential heroines.
Major existential feminists
Simone de Beauvoir was a renowned existentialist and one of the principal founders of second-wave feminism. in her book, The Second Sex, which some claim to be the culmination of her existential ethics. The book includes the famous line, "One is not born but becomes a woman," introducing what has come to be called the sex-gender distinction. Beauvoir's The Second Sex provided the vocabulary for analyzing the social constructions of femininity and the structure for critiquing those constructions, which was used as a liberating tool by attending to the ways in which patriarchal structures used sexual difference to deprive women of the intrinsic freedom of their "can do" bodies. Some say Beauvoir is farther reaching than Sartre despite often being overlooked in many comprehensive works about existentialist feminism. In this work, Sartre claims that the individual is the intersection of universal schemata and he rejects the idea of a pure individual. While Beauvoir understands subjectivity in existential terms as retaining a capacity for transcendence even within socially imposed roles, Butler argues that the subject itself is constituted within structures of power and does not exist independently of them. A common theme in Butler's writing is that of vulnerability, and how one is vulnerable to society itself. This vulnerability is a core part of the human experience, according to Butler.
The body as a situation
The concept of the "body as a situation" is a cornerstone of feminist existentialism. This phrase was first used in Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex and then expanded upon by contemporary phenomenologists. The phrase describes the notion that the body is not merely a biological object or a fixed essence. Instead, it is the fundamental medium through which an individual engages with the world and exercises freedom. In particular, Beauvoir describes the body as a person's grasp on the world and a sketch for their projects. Young’s influential work utilizes the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty to describe how women are often socialized to experience their bodies as fragile objects rather than active subjects. This results in "inhibited intentionality," where a woman may physically perceive her capacity to act but feels socially or psychologically constrained from doing so. Consequently, the female body can become a site of "immanence" restricted to being an object for others rather than a vehicle for "transcendence" into the world.
Furthermore, the situation of the body is increasingly understood through an intersectional lens. Scholars argue that the existential experience of the body cannot be separated from race, disability, or age. For instance, the situation of a Black woman’s body involves navigating specific historical and social gaze structures that differ from those of a white woman. This section of the field seeks to deconstruct the universal human subject often found in early existentialism. It replaces that concept with a situated subject whose freedom is always negotiated through specific physical and social realities.
Existential ethics and care
Existentialist feminism extends beyond individual freedom to address the ethical responsibilities inherent in human relationships. While early critics often viewed existentialism as overly individualistic, feminist theorists like Linda Bell and Hazel Barnes argued that a true commitment to one's own freedom necessitates a commitment to the freedom of others. This is rooted in the "ethics of ambiguity." In this framework, the realization of one's own subjectivity requires the recognition of the "Other" as a free subject rather than an object.
This ethical framework often intersects with the "ethics of care," though existentialists emphasize authenticity over traditional moral roles. Existential ethics suggests that moral choices must be made without the crutch of universal laws or "bad faith," which is the denial of one's own freedom. For a feminist, this means rejecting the socially imposed duty of womanhood. An example is the expectation of being inherently nurturing. Instead, the individual must choose care as an authentic project. As Beauvoir noted, to will oneself free is also to will others free.
Critiques
Simone de Beauvoir
Some critiques of the field are of Beauvoir and her portrayal of existentialist feminism specifically. Gwendolyn Dolske critiques that Beauvoir is inconsistent between her works, noting that the women in Beauvoir's fictional works resign to cultural norms rather than conquering their Otherness. Margaret A. Simons critiques Beauvoir's inability to transfer her work in theory into praxis.