Work · Simone de Beauvoir
Diaries of a Philosophy Student / Early Diaries
The 1926–1930 notebooks document study, friendships, reading and questions about an independent intellectual life.
Understanding the text
Posthumously edited by Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir; their content predates the first published works.
Key points
- 01
Formation
Thinking develops through experiments, hesitation and the appropriation of reading.
- 02
Relationships
Friendship and desire participate in the development of Beauvoir's philosophical questions.
- 03
Comparison
The notebooks provide a contemporary source alongside the later memoirs.
How to read it
Do not mistake an exploratory note for a finished doctrine; keep dates visible.
Editions & sources
- Consult the reference 1plato.stanford.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 2iep.utm.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 3gallimard.frnew tab
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗