Simone Weil
Simone Weil
Simone Weil; 3 February 1909 – 24 August 1943) was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and political activist...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth3 February 1909
CityParis, France
CountryFrance
civilization bureaucracy specialization
The whole of our civilization is founded on specialization, which implies the enslavement of those who execute to those who coordinate ...
beauty essence looks
It may be that vice, depravity, and crime are nearly always, or even perhaps always, in their essence, attempts to eat beauty, to eat what we should only look at.
machines
Nothing is less instructive than a machine.
action should righteous
We should do only those righteous actions which we cannot stop ourselves from doing ...
opportunity civilization groups
Just as a person who is always asserting that he is too good-natured is the very one from whom to expect, on some occasion, the coldest and most unconcerned cruelty, so when any group sees itself as the bearer of civilization this very belief will betray it into behaving barbarously at the first opportunity.
intimate-conversation names two
Everybody knows that really intimate conversation is only possible between two or three. As soon as there are six or seven, collective language begins to dominate. That is why it is a complete misinterpretation to apply to the Church the words 'Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' Christ did not say two hundred, or fifty, or ten. He said two or three.
rights duty relation
The notion of obligations comes before that of rights, which is subordinate and relative to the former. A right is not effectual by itself, but only in relation to the obligation to which it corresponds ...
damnation obeying-god way
If it were conceivable that in obeying God one should bring about one's own damnation whilst in disobeying him one could be saved, I should still choose the way of obedience.
god long heaven
We cannot take a single step toward heaven. It is not in our power to travel in a vertical direction. If however we look heavenward for a long time, God comes and takes us up.
god facts god-is-there
We must love all facts, not for their consequences, but because in each fact God is there present.
modern-life action life-is
Modern life is given over to immoderation. Immoderation invades everything: actions and thought, public and private life.
poison disease soil
The poison of skepticism becomes, like alcoholism, tuberculosis, and some other diseases, much more virulent in a hitherto virgin soil.
education order pearls
Academic work is one of those fields which contain a pearl so precious that it is worth while to sell all our possessions, keeping nothing for ourselves, in order to be able to acquire it.
fake-people purpose doctrine
A doctrine serves no purpose in itself, but it is indispensable to have one if only to avoid being deceived by false doctrines.