Simone Weil was one of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth century: a philoso
pher, theologian, critic, sociologist and political activist. This anthology spa
ns the wide range of her thought, and includes an extract from her best-known wo
rk 'The Need for Roots', exploring the ways in which modern society fails the hu
man soul; her thoughts on the misuse of language by those in power; and the essa
y 'Human Personality', a late, beautiful reflection on the rights and responsibi
lities of every individual. All are marked by the unique combination of literary
eloquence and moral perspicacity that characterised Weil's ideas and inspired a
generation of thinkers and writers both in and outside her native France.
