Skye Cleary || Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Authentic Living
The Psychology Podcast
iHeartPodcasts
4.4 • 2K Ratings
🗓️ 25 August 2022
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today we welcome philosopher Skye Cleary. She is a lecturer at Columbia University and the City College of New York. Skye is the author of Existentialism and Romantic Love and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Aeon, Business Insider, TED-Ed, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, among other outlets.
In 2021, she was a MacDowell Fellow and In 2017, she won the New Philosopher Writers’ Award. Her latest book is called How to Be Authentic.
In this episode, I talk to Skye Cleary about Simone de Beauvoir’s life and how it has informed her existentialist philosophy. As a feminist during the forties, Simone was passionate about freedom of choice. It's not a surprise then that her definition of authenticity also revolves around self-determination. Authenticity is not about finding a true self, but rather a process of creating who we want to be. We also touch on the topics of gender, power, social justice, narcissism, and fulfillment.
Website: skyecleary.com
Twitter: @Skye_Cleary
Topics
01:54 French existentialist philosophy
04:05 “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman”
09:58 Creating our essence
12:46 Transcending our impulses
18:01 Creative rebellion
22:19 Skye’s Critique of Simone de Beauvoir
24:03 Authenticity is responsible freedom
27:33 Power and freedom
32:00 Skye’s background in philosophy
33:15 Intersubjectivity: the foundation of ethical relations
34:48 Inauthenticity, social media, narcissism
38:37 Windows of freedom, genetics, motherhood
41:38 Fulfillment is embracing life
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We exist first, we're thrown into the world, and then it's up to us to create our essence. |
| 0:05.7 | And authenticity through this lens is a process of creating your essence in ways that you choose. |
| 0:19.4 | Hello and welcome to the Psychology Podcast. |
| 0:22.0 | Today we welcome Philosopher Sky Cleary to the show. |
| 0:25.2 | Sky is a lecturer at Columbia University and the City College of New York. |
| 0:28.9 | She's the author of existentialism and romantic love and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life. |
| 0:34.0 | Her writing has appeared in the Paris Review, Business Insider, |
| 0:36.9 | Ted Ed and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other outlets. |
| 0:40.6 | In 2021 she was a McDowell Fellow and in 2017 she won the new Philosopher Writer's Award. |
| 0:47.0 | Her latest book, which is the topic of our chat today, is called How to Be Authentic. |
| 0:51.0 | In this episode I talk to Cleary about Simone de Beauvoir's life, |
| 0:55.2 | and how it has informed her existentialist philosophy. |
| 0:58.0 | As a feminist during the 40s, Simone was passionate about freedom of choice. |
| 1:01.9 | It's not a surprise then that her definition of authenticity also revolves around self-determination. |
| 1:06.8 | Authenticity is not about finding a true self, but rather a process of creating who we want to be. |
| 1:11.4 | The sky and I also touch on the topics of gender, power, social justice, narcissism, and fulfillment. |
| 1:17.6 | This is a really rich conversation with a dear friend of mine. |
| 1:20.4 | I just think the world of sky and actually thinks she's the modern day Simone de Beauvoir. |
| 1:25.0 | So without further ado, I bring you sky, Cleary. |
| 1:28.8 | Sky Cleary, wow, so good to see you. |
| 1:31.8 | So good to see you too, Scott. Thanks for having me. |
| 1:34.7 | It's been ages. |
... |
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