A review by mcomer
Letter to a Priest by Simone Weil

3.0

The two essays in this book certainly provided novel perspectives, but I was only (semi) convinced by one of them. The titular "Letter to a Priest" is a mess. I don't really understand how it's a classic of philosophy; it put me in mind of that meme with the guy standing in front of all those pieces of paper connected by red string. It's total stream-of-consciousness conjecture; as the foreword said, no one ever called Simone Weil a scholar of the past or of religion. I take issue with how she described other cultures and faiths; there were many falsehoods, and the whole thing, as many others have recognized, reeks of antisemitism. On the other hand, the second essay, which argues against conceptions of "rights" in favor of recognizing the impersonal humanity in each person, was at least compelling. Rethinking the basis of human dignity and what we owe to each other, there is at least a well-written argument there that is worth thinking through. The book overall balances out to three stars, fully on the strength of the second essay.