In this episode of pplpod, we explore the intense life and uncompromising philosophy of Simone Weil (1909–1943), a figure Albert Camus once called "the only great spirit of our times". A French philosopher, mystic, and political activist who died at the age of 34, Weil’s legacy is defined by her radical empathy and her concept of "decreation"—the undoing of the self to make room for truth.

We trace Weil’s journey from her youth as the "Red Virgin"—a radical teacher and trade unionist—to her time working on factory floors to directly experience the "affliction" (malheur) of the working class. We discuss her brief, clumsy, yet courageous participation in the Spanish Civil War with the anarchist Durruti Column, and her eventual work for the French Resistance in London.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

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