--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: French existentialism is an unhelpful…" description: "\"French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which to couch modern feminism: born from the ravages of the Second World War, it is a cynical, ind..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png" --- # French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which… ![“French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which to couch modern feminism: born from the ravages of the Second World War, it is a cynical, individualistic school of thought that posits the self and personal choice as the measure of life's entire meaning.” quote by Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png) > “French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which to couch modern feminism: born from the ravages of the Second World War, it is a cynical, individualistic school of thought that posits the self and personal choice as the measure of life's entire meaning.” [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques existentialism as unsuitable for feminism, calling it cynical and overly individualistic. **In simple terms:** Existentialism doesn't fit modern feminism. Key Takeaway Seek more collective frameworks. Themes feminism philosophy existentialism Mood analytical critical Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - academic discourse - activist strategy - gender policy Key Concepts critical theory individualism collectivism Questions to Reflect On - Can individual autonomy coexist with feminist goals? - What alternatives better address systemic issues? A Different Perspective Existentialism may still offer valuable insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couch/) [Cynical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical/) [Entire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Existentialism Unhelpful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism-unhelpful-4897503/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french/) [French Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-existentialism-4897502/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individualistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individualistic/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Measure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/) [Personal choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-choice/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second/) [Second world war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-world-war/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Unhelpful Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhelpful-philosophy-4897504/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [“But a personal relationship with Jesus is a conscious decision. It is made and maintained by each Christian individually by our own free will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-gentry/but-a-personal-relationship-with-jesus-is-a-conscious-decision-it-is/) [Jen Gentry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-gentry/) > [There is a lot of opposition. You will experience it. But the joys that come from the study, more than compensate for the opposition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-a-lot-of-opposition-you-will-experience-it-but-the-joys-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Luck is opportunity met by preparation - and to be prepared or unprepared is a personal choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/luck-is-opportunity-met-by-preparation-and-to-be-prepared-or/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [“Our main problem is deciding how to spend this one and only precious life that we have been gifted... Shall we spend it trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/our-main-problem-is-deciding-how-to-spend-this-one-and-only-precious/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [“First, take complete responsibility for your life and current outcomes. Then take proactive steps for the necessary action to move forward in your desired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/first-take-complete-responsibility-for-your-life-and-current-outcomes/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Your own personal health is your own personal choice, all the way down the line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/your-own-personal-health-is-your-own-personal-choice-all-the-way-down/) [Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/) > [I like all kinds of comedy. I like comedy that doesn't talk about real beliefs or serious thoughts, but then I also like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bamford/i-like-all-kinds-of-comedy-i-like-comedy-that-doesn-t-talk-about-real/) [Maria Bamford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bamford/) > [Choices are our choices so I am not taking away anyone's personal choice, but we run into difficulty when we're having choices made for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/choices-are-our-choices-so-i-am-not-taking-away-anyone-s-personal/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) > [“Nothing could do that to them, that's what they used to whisper as they sat on the back stairs, in the dark and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/nothing-could-do-that-to-them-that-s-what-they-used-to-whisper-as/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Everybody's got regrets. It's a personal choice as to whether or not you can change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-duhamel/everybody-s-got-regrets-it-s-a-personal-choice-as-to-whether-or-not/) [Josh Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-duhamel/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I think that, honestly, people's censorship issues are personal but I disagree with most of those personal choices that I see others make. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-think-that-honestly-people-s-censorship-issues-are-personal-but-i/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [“It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to “socialize” at the bonfire, but she wanted to broadcast to the general population that her antisocial behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/it-wasn-t-that-she-necessarily-wanted-to-socialize-at-the-bonfire-but/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [“Empowerment is being aware that there is no one to blame for my choices and actions; that I have a personal choice and responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/empowerment-is-being-aware-that-there-is-no-one-to-blame-for-my/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) ## More by Naomi Wolf > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Demographically, I'm a hippie from San Francisco and I'm not culturally inclined to be sympathetic to states' rights. My cultural heritage is FDR and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/demographically-i-m-a-hippie-from-san-francisco-and-i-m-not/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [There's been a systematic propagandizing of American citizens for 30 years to make us forget what America is supposed to be and what our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/there-s-been-a-systematic-propagandizing-of-american-citizens-for-30/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Maybe the less pain we inflict on our bodies, the more beautiful our bodies will look to us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/maybe-the-less-pain-we-inflict-on-our-bodies-the-more-beautiful-our/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“The rise of the beauty myth was just one of several emerging social fictions that masqueraded as natural components of the feminine sphere, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-rise-of-the-beauty-myth-was-just-one-of-several-emerging-social/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [The Victorian woman became her ovaries, as today's woman has become her "beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-victorian-woman-became-her-ovaries-as-today-s-woman-has-become/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“The anthropologist Margaret Mead concluded in 1948, after observing seven different ethnic groups in the Pacific Islands, that different cultures made different forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-anthropologist-margaret-mead-concluded-in-1948-after-observing/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“Beauty” is a currency system like the gold standard. Like any economy, it is determined by politics, and in the modern age in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/beauty-is-a-currency-system-like-the-gold-standard-like-any-economy/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“Rape and sexual assault ... should be understood not just as a form of forced sex, they should also be understood as as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/rape-and-sexual-assault-should-be-understood-not-just-as-a-form-of/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“The qualities that a given period calls beautiful in women are merely symbols of the female behavior that that period considers desirable: The beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-qualities-that-a-given-period-calls-beautiful-in-women-are-merely/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [To live in a culture in which women are routinely naked where men aren't is to learn inequality in little ways all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/to-live-in-a-culture-in-which-women-are-routinely-naked-where-men/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [a white person who claims to have no impediment of vision in this country is not, I think, telling the whole truth. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/a-white-person-who-claims-to-have-no-impediment-of-vision-in-this/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“The beauty myth sets it up this way: A high rating as an art object is the most valuable tribute a woman can exact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-beauty-myth-sets-it-up-this-way-a-high-rating-as-an-art-object-is/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“Societies tell themselves necessary fictions in the same way that individuals and families do. Henrik Ibsen called them “vital lies,” and psychologist Daniel Goleman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/societies-tell-themselves-necessary-fictions-in-the-same-way-that/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) [Explore all 251 Naomi Wolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) [Browse all 11,606 Born quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which to couch modern feminism: born from the ravages of the Second World War, it is a cynical, individualistic school of thought that posits the self and personal choice as the measure of life's entire meaning.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Wolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-philosophy-in-which-to-couch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Born" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-philosophy-in-which-to-couch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/naomi-wolf-1344_born_french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-ph_2211316.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy in which to couch modern feminism: born from the ravages of…” — Naomi Wolf", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Naomi Wolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "French existentialism is an unhelpful philosophy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-philosophy-in-which-to-couch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/french-existentialism-is-an-unhelpful-philosophy-in-which-to-couch/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```