Simone Weil: An Anthology

336 Pages·2009·2.45 MB·English

by  Simone Weil

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PENGUIN CLASSICS
SIMONE WElL:A N AN THO LOGY
SIMONE WE(l91L0 99-413i)so neo ft hem osti mportatnhti nkers
oft hem oderpn erioTdh.e d istincfteiavteu orfeh erw orki st he
indioslsubllei nskh em akesb etween tthheeo rayn dp ractiocfe
bothp oilticasn dr eligiaonndh ert ranslaotfit ohno ughitn to
acti.o nbA riilalnpth ilosopahnedmr a thematichiearln ,i fe rep­
resenat qsu esfto jru stiacnedb alanicneb otht hea cademaincd
thep racticsaplh ereAs s.c holoafrd eepa ndw idee rduitiosnh,e
becamdeu rintgh et hirtainei sns pierdt eachaenrd a ctiisvtS.oa s
toe xperience plhaybsoiuacrtafi lr shta nds,h es penatl mosttw o
yearass a carf actowroyr kesro ona ftetrh eF ronPto pulaiarned
latbeerc amae fi ghteirnt heS paniCsihv iWla r.W henh erh ome
citoyf P ariwsa so ccupiesdh,ej oinetdh eR esistainnct eh e
Soutohf F rancaen db ecamfeo ra timea na gricultluarbaolu rer
before accteodh ienrpg a rentwsi's ht oe scapNea zip ersecution
oft heJ ewsb yfl eeintgoN ew YorkL.e avinAgm ericsah,ej oined
theF reeF rencihn L ondon whefrreu,s trabtye dt heex clusively
intellecntautaulro eft hew ork delegtaoht ee,dra ndw eakened
by a numbero fp hysicaanld e motionfaalc tros, schonet racted
tubecrulosainsd d iedi na Kentissha natoriautmt hea geo f
thrityo-ufrT.h eb ulkof hveor luminoouesu vwraesp ublished
posthumously.
SIANM ILESw asb orna ndb roughutp i nt heb ic-ultruala tmos­
pheroef W aleasn de ducattehde raen di nF rancweh erseh e has
livefdo rm anyy earSsh.e h ast aughatta numbero fu niveirtsies
wordlwidei,n cludiTnugf tsU niversity, MassaDcahkuasre tts,
UnivresitSye,n egaaln dY orkU niveirtsyT,o rontoS.h en ow
teachaets\ VarwiUcnki vesritiyn E ngladn.H ero thepru blica­
tionisn cludGeeo:g reS and:JV/ arianan ter;a nslaotfiV oino let
TrefusiEsc'h oi;nc ollabioornaP,ta ulV aleryC'as lziersfNote­
bookasn;dG uy de MaupassanAt: P arainsAi ffaira nd Other
Stori(ePsen guCilna ssics).

SIMONE WElL
An Anthology
Editaendd I ntrodubcySe dI AMNI LES
PENGUINB OOKS
PENGUIN BOOKS
Publishbeytd h eP enguGirno up
PenguiBno okLst d,8 0S tranLdo,n donW C2R ORL,E ngland
PenguGirno up( USA)I nc.3,7 5H udsoSnt reeNte,w YorkN,e w York1 0014,U SA
PenguiGnr oup( Canad9a0)E ,g lintAovne nuEea stS,u ir7e00 ,T oronto,
OntariCoa.n adMa4 P 2Y3( ad ivisoifoP ne arsoPne nguiCna nadIan c.)
PenguiInr ela2n5dS ,tS tepheGnr'ese nD,u bli2n,I reland
(ad ivisoifoP ne nguiBno okLst d)
PenguiGrno up( Austra2l5i0aC )a,m berweRlola d,
CambcrweVlilc,t or3i12a4 A,u stra(laid ai visoifoP ne arsAouns traGlrioau pP tyL td)
PenguiDno okIsn diPav tL td1,1 C ommunitCye ntre,
PanchshPeaerlk N,e w Delhi1-100 17I,n dia
PenguGirno up( NZ)c,n rA irborannedR osedaRloea dsA,l bany,
Auckla1n3d1 0N,e w Zeala(nadd ivisoifoP ne arsNoenw ZealaLntdd )
PenguiBno ok(sS outAhf ric(aP)t yL)t d,2 4S turdAe vee nue,
Roseba2n1k9 6, SoAuftrhi ca
PenguiBno okLst dR,e gisteOrfefidc e8s0:S tranLdo,n donW C2R ORL,E ngland
www.penguin.com
Firsptu blishbyeV di ragPor es1s9 86
PublishienPd e nguiCnl ass2i00c5s
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CopyrighItn©t roductainodan rsr angemeSnitasnM iles1,9 862,0 05
Allr ights reserved
Them orarli ghotft hea uthohra sb eean sserted
SimonWec ilw'rsi tinagrsec opyrighatsfe odl loAwtst:e 1d1etD ei e011 L aC olombEed itidoun
VieuCxo lombi1e9r5 0W;a itionugG od©G .P .P utnamS'osn sa ndR outled&g Kee ganP aul
1951r.e newe1d9 79C.a hiedresS imonWee iV/o lI .()L ibraiPriioen1 951V,o lI.I () Pion1 953,
\o"lI l©lP ion1 956T;h eN otebooohfSs i mo1W1eei 0/ G.P .P utnamS'osn s1 956L.a Pesa1tette 11r
IaG rticeL"'i braiPriioe1n 9 47G;r at1aiuldyG racQe G .P .P utnamS'osn sa ndR outled&g e
KeganP aul1 952r,e newe1d9 80L.' E11ra<i101 Eedmie1t1itoG nasl lima1r9d4 9T;h eN eedf oRro ots
©SimoneW ei)1 952p,r efabcyeT .S .E lio0t G .P .P utnamS'osn sa ndR outled&g Kee ganP aul
1952r,e newe1d9 80O.p presseitLo ilble rCt Gea llima1r9d5 5O;p pressai1o1L1di1 b ertRyo©u tledge
andK eganP aul19 58L.e rordueP hiloso©p Lhiibera irPiieo n1 959L;e ctu0r1eP1sh ilosophy
ttl CambridUgnei versPirteys1 s9 78C.o nditiou pdr'ermtmir earte, ail uofur-osmLe an rile
Co11ditiou O©uEvdriiteiroGena sl lima1r9d5 1P;r erequtiosD iit"ge1 1oiftL ayb ourS©H inM iles
1986L. ' lli0a1dl1ee p oemdee I aforfcreo mL aS ourcGer ecqCu eE ditioGnasl lima1r9d5 3T;h e
Iliaodrt irPeo emo fF orceM()a ryM cCanhy1 945S.er. 'etLlett)t'eQ r Osx forUdn i\'erPsrietsys
1965L.a Vied eS inrmWreie/ Lei braiArnihee meF ayar1d9 73S;i mouWee i/A: L rf0e P antheon
Dook1s9 76E.c n'dtesU mdreest D enri�rLeest tr0e Gsa llima1r9d5 7a ndE criltrsi storeitq ues
politi©q Guaelsl ima1r9d6 0S.e lecEtseds a1y9s3 �--J0J O xforUdn iversPirteys1 s9 62.
PrintienEd n glanbdy C layLst dS,t I v esp ic
Excepitnt heU niteSdt atoefsA merictah,i bso oki ss olsdu bject
tot hec ondittihoanit ts hanlolt b,y w ayo ft radoero therwibseel ,e nt,
re-sohlidr,e odu to,r o therwise ciwrictuhloatuthteep d u blisher's
priocro nseinnta nyf ormo fb indionrgc oveort hetrh atnh aitn
whiciht i sp ublisahneddw ithoaus ti milcaorn ditiinocnl uding this
conditbieoinn igm poseodnt hes ubsequpeunrtc haser
CONTENTS
Forewtootr hdPe e ngeudiint ion Vll
Praecfteot hVei raegdoi tion XV
Acknowledgements XVll
Itnorduction 1
HumanP ersonality 69
TheS elf 99
TheN eedosft hSeo ul 150
TheG reaBte ast 141
AnalyofsO ippsr ession 174
TheM ystciisomf rWko 178
TheI lioartd h Peo eomfF orce 128
Voida ndCo mpentsiaon 216
Draffto arS tateomfHe unmta Onb ligation2s2 1
Attteinoann dWi ll 231
TheP oweorfW ords 238
Contardiction 259
PrereqtuoDi igsniitotefLy a bour 264
Detachment 277
Friendship 281
Love 290
Chance 297
Bbiilography 299
Idnex 303

FOREWOR D
tot hPee nguEidni tion
Int hed ecaadned a h alsfi ntcheefi rst publoiftc haitsi on
antholtohgieyn ,fl ueonfcS ei monWee ill'isaf ned w orhka s
spreaanddd eepenienmd a nyd iffesrpehnetr Seosm.eo f
theisnec lutdhee famfiielliodafspr h ilosaonpdhr ye ligion
witwhh ichhe rn ameh ast raditiboeneamnlo lsyct l osely
associSaotmeedh,.o wever, repraerseewanhste rtoeht eh er
seedosfh eru nderstahnadvien g tsatkreonrn ogo atn d
produced tohfei nktienrdd isccirpolsisn-afreyr tilization
characteinra issptiircao tfbi ootnhh e fro rmaanldi nformal
writiTnhgess.ie n clutdhepe o littihceea dlu,c atitohnea l,
psycholoagswi eclaallst hec ultuirnaw lh,i csht ranodfs
herth inkhianvgde e veloipnwe ady msa rkiintag s h aving
beenu nusuaplrleys ciiennnto,v atfiovre tiitmsea nd
spectacauplpalrilcyta oob ulroe w n.
Int hefi eldosfp olitaincdes c onomhiecrms a nyp er­
suasive arognut mheein nthse rteenntd enocfpy o wetro
over-exittesnhedalv fae n a ltlo roe sonrainnt'g I.wf e w ant
toc onsipdoewrea rsa c onceivpahbelneo menwoenm ,u st
thinitkc ane xtetnhdfe o undatoinwo hnisc ihtr esutpst o
ac ertpaoiinno tn ly, aftietrc omwehusip c,ah s i tw ere,
agaiannsi tm passwaabllBleu. te v esnoi ti sn oitn a p osition
Vlll SIMONWEE l-LANA NTHOLOGY
tos totph;se p urc oomfp etiftoirocinett s og oe vefra rther,
thaitst os ayt,og ob eyontdh lei miwtist hwihni cihtc an
bee ffectively (eWexiel1r,9c 5i8Ss)oe mde.m 'i ghatr gue
thatth iem perawthiivcedh r ivtehseU S andh era lltioe s
attempt toe vcegorrn etarptorelor p ortoifto hnweso rld's
dwindloiinrlge sourdcoeeissn deleeda tdh emi nteov er
widecro nfrontactrieoantoispn,pg o siwthiiocnth h ecya n
neituhnedre rsntoarno dve rcome.
Claimtihnagwt h eresvmearil slp ossibbiliges b, a ds,h e
anticibpyas teevse dreacla dtehsen o tiotnh,o ugnho tt he
sadly revnealmaeot fos ruyb sidinaorwie tnys hriinne d
thEeu ropeCaonm muniTtrye aatnyd,S chumach'esrm'asl l
isb eautieftuhwloh'si cehm ergienpd a rotfst hWee satf ter
herd eatahn di se vemro rwei dely acacsae m petaendos f
controilrlriensgp oenxspiabnlseSi moanl.l -psrcoadluec tion,
localeiczoendo mainedgs r eaetmeprh asoinrs e gionaliza­
tioanr ee xpresasseo db jectainvdec so nsummations
devouttolb yew ishiendt hmea nye ssaoynst hnea tuorfe
worka ndo ni ndustrreilaalt wirointst aefnt heerr o wn
experieansac f easc thoarnyd aagnrdi culltaubroauilrn e r
thlea te tahnidrs toioaenfs t tehroe c cupaotfiF orna nce by
theNa zis.
Some rehaadvebere se tne mptteomd u soen t hceo ntem­
porarreyl evaonfhc eepr r opositthiatothn ce o mpleoxfi ty
relatbieotnwsed eenv elospteadta ensdap erceinveeefddo r
co-ordinlaetatidoio nnc rehaesgeedm oannydc onsequent
domination. nAadtviaon(nncicsel du diensgp ecitahlel y
UK sincteh ed emisoefv irtuaallillt yms a nufacturing
sectoerx)e,r cciosnet raonlde xploitoavteitroh new orld
econotmhyr outghhme a nipuloafti inofno rmaitnwi aoyns
shea nticipwaittehcs h illaicncgu raTchye. i ntense
discuswshiioctnho opkl aacf ee ywe aargsao b outthp eo ten­
tiarlelvyo lutiionnflaureoynf ct eh ien terbneecta uosfie t s
decentrasltirzuecdat nudrt eh eat l east theoretical possi­
bilitthyai tn formawtoiuolnbd e a vailtaoba lleel q ually
hasp rovesdom ethoifna gc himedruaet ot hef actth at
informarteimoanih nesa vciolnyt rolled.
Othehrasv neo tehde irn flueinnct eh aer eoafr esistance