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
tragedy return imagine
All the tragedies which we can imagine return in the end to the one and only tragedy: the passage of time.
encouragement punishment killers
As soon as men know that they can kill without fear of punishment or blame, they kill; or at least they encourage killers with approving smiles.
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.
soul transformation virtue
The virtue of hope is an orientation of the soul towards a transformation after which it will be wholly and exclusively love.
light knowing soul
If we concentrate our attention on trying to solve a problem of geometry, and if at the end of an hour we are no nearer to doing so than at the beginning, we have nevertheless been making progress each minute of that hour in another more mysterious dimension. Without knowing or feeling it, this apparent barren affort has brought more light into the soul.
modern-life action life-is
Modern life is given over to immoderation. Immoderation invades everything: actions and thought, public and private life.
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.
god facts god-is-there
We must love all facts, not for their consequences, but because in each fact God is there present.
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.
belief divine certainty
In what concerns divine things, belief is not appropriate. Only certainty will do. Anything less than certainty is unworthy of God.
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 ...
prayer heart attentiveness
Attentiveness is the heart of prayer.
humility compassion oneself
Compassion directed to oneself is humility.
real mind tests
The contradictions the mind comes up against, these are the only realities, the criterion of the real. There is no contradiction in what is imaginary. Contradiction is the test of necessity.