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Who really said it

Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself

Attributed to Simone de Beauvoir 1908–1986 · French philosopher and novelist
Attributed Rights unconfirmed

The saying is credited to Beauvoir in a quotation compilation cited by Wikiquote: The Book of Positive Quotations (2007), page 525. No original French passage, English translator, or primary Beauvoir publication has been established here.

Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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Unconfirmed quote & credit

“Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself” Attributed to Simone de Beauvoir in The Book of Positive Quotations (2007), p. 525, as cited by Wikiquote; original work and English translator unconfirmed.

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We couldn’t establish where this was first published, so there’s no rights status to give. Credit it as shown above — just don’t present it as public domain, and get permission for commercial or published reuse.

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In context

Evoking the world of Simone de Beauvoir — French philosopher and novelist. Theme: "Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Located attribution
The Book of Positive Quotations (2007), p. 525, according to Wikiquote
Original Beauvoir source
Not established
English translator
Not established

Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty

The attributed saying

How we verified this

The exact English source and translator are unknown. A modern compilation’s attribution is not evidence that this English wording is public domain; only a short identifying fragment is reproduced in the source panel.

Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.

Context

Why it mattered

The saying presents truthful advocacy as valuable in itself, rather than a performance motivated by obligation or guilt. That is an interpretation of the circulating words, not proof that they belong to a particular Beauvoir argument.

Beauvoir’s ethics does examine freedom and responsibility within social life, but thematic compatibility cannot authenticate a quotation. Until an original work and translation are located, the specific compilation citation should travel with the attribution’s limit.

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Filed under

More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.

Truth Character Purpose

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Dig deeper

Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.

The attributed sayingen.wikiquote.org

Wikiquote prints the sentence in Attributed and cites the 2007 compilation, page 525.
Compilation metadatawww.simonandschuster.com

The official distributor/publisher page identifies the 2007 Fairview volume compiled by John Cook and edited by Steve Deger and Leslie Ann Gibson; it does not verify the quotation page.
Beauvoir’s philosophical workplato.stanford.edu

Stanford describes Beauvoir’s concern with freedom, moral responsibility and social circumstances, and documents her major works.
Beauvoir’s biographyen.wikipedia.org

Biographical reference confirms her dates and career as a French philosopher, novelist and feminist.

The author

About Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir

1908–1986 · French philosopher and novelist

Simone de Beauvoir wrote philosophical essays, fiction and memoir, placing human freedom within concrete social circumstances. The Second Sex became a foundational feminist work, while her wartime and postwar writing repeatedly examined the effects of one person’s choices on others.

For writers & researchers

Cite this

The primary source (Chicago)

Cook, John, compiler; Steve Deger and Leslie Ann Gibson, editors. The Book of Positive Quotations. Fairview Press, 2007, 525, as cited by Wikiquote. Original Beauvoir source and translator unestablished.

This verification page

Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/defending-the-truth-is-not-something-one-does-out-of-a/

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