The indefinite stressed pronoun "soi"
You already know how to use stressed pronouns like moi (me) and toi (you) after prepositions. But what about making general statements about "oneself"?
When the subject is an indefinite pronoun like on (one) or chacun (everyone), or an impersonal expression like il faut (one must), use the indefinite stressed pronoun soi (oneself). Like other stressed pronouns, it often follows prepositions.
| In philosophy class, one always talks about oneself. | Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi. |
| One must keep the secret to oneself. | Il faut garder le secret pour soi. |
Ethics and individualism
In discussions about philosophy and ethics, soi is useful for describing human nature in general. Notice how it remains exactly the same whether it follows pour (for) or à (to/about).
| Everyone seeks the good for oneself, but morality demands more. | Chacun cherche le bien pour soi, mais la morale exige plus. |
| Individualism is when one only thinks about oneself. | L'individualisme, c'est quand on ne pense qu'à soi. |
You can also use soi after other prepositions, such as sur (on) or de (of), to talk about self-improvement or self-awareness.
| In philosophy, one works on oneself. | En philosophie, on travaille sur soi. |
| The philosopher thinks that one has an awareness of oneself. | Le philosophe pense qu'on a une conscience de soi. |
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