I was educated in both French and German universities, and taught philosophy during the 1930s at La Havre and Paris. During WWII I was captured by the Nazis while serving as an Army meteorologist. I was held as a prisoner of war for one year before returning to my teaching position. Back in Paris I participated actively in the French resistance to German occupation until the liberation.
As to my philosophy, It has been said Recognizing a connection between the principles of existentialism and the more practical concerns of social and political struggle, I wrote not only philosophical treatises but also novels, stories, plays, and political pamphlets.
My personal and professional life was greatly enriched by my long-term collaboration with Simone de Beauvoir. Although I declined the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964, I was remembered as one of the most respected leaders of post-war French culture. Sadly, they made a big deal about my funeral.
