Oppression and Liberty (Routledge Classics) [Paperback]

Simone Weil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415254078 | ISBN-13: 978-0415254076 | Edition: 2

The remarkable French thinker Simone Weil is one of the leading intellectual and spiritual figures of the twentieth century. A legendary essayist, political philosopher and member of the French resistance, her literary output belied her tragically short life. Most of her work was published posthumously, to widespread acclaim. Always concerned with the nature of individual freedom, Weil explores in Oppression and Liberty its political and social implications. Analyzing the causes of oppression, its mechanisms and forms, she questions revolutionary responses and presents a prophetic view of a way forward. If, as she noted elsewhere, 'the future is made of the same stuff as the present', then there will always be a need to continue to listen to Simone Weil.

Editorial Reviews

Review

We must simply expose ourselves to the personality of a woman of genius, of a kind of genius akin to that of the saints.
–T.S. Eliot

The best spiritual writer of this century.
–André Gide

What makes this book worth reading - and it is extremely readable - is the clarity and force of the style and the sincerity of the emotions which led Simone Weil to reflect on political philosophy ... It is a book full of interest and insight, penetrating observations and stimulating suggestions with, even in its most pessimistic passages, a humane faith and sincerity that reinforce the reader's confidence in the possibility of a humanistic, rational and liberal order of society.
–The Times Literary Supplement

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (July 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415254078
• ISBN-13: 978-0415254076
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)