Utopian Pessimist: The Life And Thought Of Simone Weil Life And Thought Of Simone Weil Simone Weil

Simone Weil's short life was as extraordinary as her writings. Born in 1909, she was a brilliant philosophy student in the Paris of the 1920s and colleague of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. She fought on the anarchist side in the Spanish Civil War and died, at the age of only thirty-four, while serving with de Gaulle and the Free French in London. This life of intense activity was united with a profoundly religious outlook on life. Many consider her the best spiritual writer of our century and a true saint for modern times. Simone Weil published almost nothing during her lifetime. The publication of her complete works is only now beginning in France. They reveal a mind of amazing lucidity and depth. This biography draws on hitherto unpublished material to explain her thought in the context of her life. Its comprehensive coverage at last makes available to the public the most intriguing personality of our age. Examines The Life And Thought Of The Spiritual Writer Who Fought In The Spanish Civil War, Journeyed To Germany During The Ascent Of The Nazis, And Worked To Establish An Immediate Link Between Christian And Greek Thought. Introduction --- 1. Paris: Childhood And Adolescence --- 2. Paris: Student Days --- 3. Le Puy: Teacher And Anarchist --- 4. Oppression And Liberty --- 5. Paris: Factory Year --- 6. Paris: The Drift To War --- 7. Paris: War And History --- 8. Marseilles: Life --- 9. Marseilles: Thought --- 10. New York: Waiting --- 11. London: Politics And Death ---- Conclusion ---- Appendix: Simone Weil: 'on Human Personality'. David Mclellan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 301-307) And Indexes. Contents 6 List of Maps 7 List of Plates 8 Preface 9 Acknowledgements 10 List of Abbreviations 11 Prologue 12 1 Introduction 20 2 Paris: Student Days 30 3 Le Puy: Teacher and Anarchist 57 1 Paris: Childhood and Adolescence 22 4 Oppression and Liberty 86 5 Paris: Factory Year 112 6 Paris: The Drift to War 137 7 Paris: War and History 179 8 Marseilles: Life 197 9 Marseilles: Thought 226 10 New York: Waiting 255 11 London: Politics and Death 269 Conclusion 303 Appendix: Simone Weil, 'On Human Personality7 308 Notes 324 Chronology 332 Bibliography 336 Name Index 343 Subject Index 348