A Philosophical Anthropology Drawn from Simone Weil’s Life & Writings situates Weil’s thought in the time between the two world wars through which she lived, and traces Weil’s consistent conception of a mind-body dualism in the Cartesian sense to a dualism that places the mind within a carnal part of the soul and establishes an eternal part of the soul as the essence of human beings. Helen Cullen argues that in Weil’s early conception of human nature, her Cartesian conception of perception already shows a glimpse of the eternal. Weil’s dualistic conception also forms the basis of her political analysis of the left of her time, and through working in factories and in the fields, she develops a conception of labour as a theory of “action” and “work with a method.” Weil was influenced by leading thinkers of her time, prompting her to do an analysis of current scientific theories. Cullen argues that Weil’s analysis of Christianity, already present in Greek philosophy, shows us a theory of “identical thought” inherited from the East (India and China) and brought forth by peoples around Israel. This theory leads to Weil’s analysis, developed in The Need for Roots, of how we’ve been uprooted through colonization and how we can grow roots in a free local society (both rural and urban).

Simone Weil was an extraordinary French woman who, born in 1909, didn’t have the same freedoms women today enjoy. Despite that, she became a political activist, a teacher, and one of the world’s most well-respected philosophers. By the time she died at the age of thirty-three, Weil had made significant contributions to humanity. In Helen Cullen’s book, A Selection of Short Essays on Simone Weil's Life and Writings, Weil’s background and philosophies on life are laid out and examined. Though many believe that her political leanings had become more conservative over time—as she embraced a more mystical life—Cullen aims to demonstrate how she continued to have very progressive and leftist beliefs until her death. Weil wrote copiously during her short life, addressing many social, political, and religious issues, such as the rights of factory workers during the Second World War. She was an activist during the 1930’s, herself working in factories so she could live the experiences she wrote about. Weil's perspectives on life were heavily influenced by Plato and his philosophy, which Cullen analyzes in her essays. Cullen also spends time examining Weil’s theory of Identical Thought, which some believe is her greatest contribution to humanity. This book of essays offers new insight into one of this world’s greatest female minds, inspiring us to consider how we, too, may contribute to humanity.

A Philosophical Anthropology Drawn from Simone Weil’s Life & Writings situates Weil’s thought in the time between the two world wars through which she lived, and traces Weil’s consistent conception of a mind-body dualism in the Cartesian sense to a dualism that places the mind within a carnal part of the soul and establishes an eternal part of the soul as the essence of human beings. Helen Cullen argues that in Weil’s early conception of human nature, her Cartesian conception of perception already shows a glimpse of the eternal. Weil’s dualistic conception also forms the basis of her political analysis of the left of her time, and through working in factories and in the fields, she develops a conception of labour as a theory of “action” and “work with a method.” Weil was influenced by leading thinkers of her time, prompting her to do an analysis of current scientific theories. Cullen argues that Weil’s analysis of Christianity, already present in Greek philosophy, shows us a theory of “identical thought” inherited from the East (India and China) and brought forth by peoples around Israel. This theory leads to Weil’s analysis, developed in The Need for Roots, of how we’ve been uprooted through colonization and how we can grow roots in a free local society (both rural and urban).

Vols. for 1969- include a section of abstracts.