ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author comments on a pertinent elaboration of the general pattern by Simone de Beauvoir and an important variation by Merleau-Ponty. He raises some critical queries about the foundation of this equalitarianism. The author makes some suggestions about possible ways of strengthening the existentialist case, even though these may not quite fit into the framework of orthodox existentialism. Sartre's slogan for existentialism: "existence precedes essence" (which incidentally is not acceptable to the other philosophers whom he wants to include as existentialists) has a meaning that is anything but clear. As a philosopher Simone de Beauvoir reflects Sartre's position so completely that no special discussion of her version of existentialism seems to be called for. Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose phenomenological existentialism differs so much from Sartre's that the two should never be lumped together, shared with him an apparent reluctance to discuss human equality explicitly and to refer to it as a political argument.
