A history of sex 1961.pdf

A History
of Sex
A brilliant and rating study of sexual experience, from
earliest civilisations to our own.
This book, by one of the greatest living French writers, is an
enrichment and illumiîiation for any man or woman.
A FOUR SQUARE BOOK
A History
of Sex
SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
Tramlated from the French and edited by
H. Af. Parshley
FOUR
SQUARE
FOUR SQUARE BOOKS LTD BARNARD'S INN HOLBORN LONDON ECL
Originally published in France by Librairie Gallimard
in 1949 under the title Le Deuxième Sexe (2 vols.)
First published in England by
Jonathan Cape Ltd. in 1953
Second impression 1956
The second volume published as a Four Square Book
in 1960 under the title The Second Sex
Eight reprints
The first volume published as a Four Square Book in
1961 under the title A History of Sex
Four Square Books are published by Four Square Books Limited
from Barnard^s Inn, Holborn, London ECl. They are made and printed
in Great Britain by Love and son Ltd, Loruion and Redhiîl, Surrey
INTRODUCTION
FOR a long time I have hesitated to write a book on woman.
The subject is irritating, especially to women ; and it is not
new. Enough ink has been spilled^ in quarrelling over
feminism, and perhaps we should say no more about it. It is
still talked about, however, for the voluminous nonsense
uttered during the last century seems to have done little to
illuminate the problem. After all, is there a problem? And if
so, what is it? Are there women, really? Most assuredly the
theory of the eternal feminine still has its adherents who will
whisper in your ear: 'Even in Russia women still are women' ;
and other erudite persons—sometimes the very same—say
with a sigh : 'Womari is losing her way, woman is lost.' One
wonders if women still exist, if they will always exist, whether
or not it is desirable that they should, what place they occupy
in this world, what their place should be. 'What has e
of women?'