Simone Weil: A Sketch for a Portrait

by Richard Rees, Harry Thornton Moore

Simone Weil was a remarkable a teacher, a factory worker, a field hand, a traveler, and a frontline volunteer in the Spanish Civil War; yet she found time to write and to philosophize about life and religion. Her short life (1909–43) spanned two world wars, al­though she did not live to see the end of the second one. The reac­tions of this French Jewish woman to some of the facets of these conflicts may seem surprising; her sympathies and affirmations were perhaps too extreme, but she did think for herself in an un­orthodox and challenging way and had a passionate sense of justice. Mr. Rees believes that this book may contain more illumina­tion for the present world’s spiritual needs than any other twentieth-­century commentary. Some of Simone Weil’s proposals concerning patriotism, obligations, freedom of expression, and the needs of the soul may seem Utopian, but they would not be unreasonable in a society adopting her moral code. Simone Weil was an intellectual with an essentially tragic view of life, but she was not removed from the everyday life. Her thought was unique and cannot be classified. She was neither a re­actionary nor a progressive but a great soul and a brilliant mind, as T. S. Eliot expressed it, “with a kind of genius akin to that of the saints.” Since she explored problems which confront modern man, the reader will find thoughtful stimulation in her work. In a previ­ous book, Brave Men , the author likened her to D. H. Lawrence—both lonely visionaries suffering from a devouring spiritual hunger. This book gives a condensed but penetrating account of Miss Weil’s interests. Since her writings cover more than philosophy and religion, the reader will feel compelled to become more familiar with her work.

Genres: Biography, Philosophy

216 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1966

Reviews

[Aeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was just lovely

[Simon Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Rees offers a beautifully written sketch of Simone Weil as a person and of her thought. The book is balanced and a great place to begin for someone trying to learn more about one of the great 20th century philosophers. Rees recognises that much that may seem extreme in Weil's thought is linked to a closely and logically argued understanding of reality - both moral and metaphysical. In fact Weil's greatness lies in the fact that she managed to reunite the two essential sides of philosophy that were divided by Descates.