Simone Weil

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/simone-weil

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Simone Weil born?February 3, 1909
2. Where was Simone Weil born?Paris, France
3. What is Simone Weil known for?Philosophical and spiritual writings on attention, suffering, labor, and justice; political activism
4. When did Simone Weil die?August 24, 1943
5. What is the career?Teacher, factory laborer, political activist, writer
6. Who was Simone Weil?Simone Weil was a French thinker, philosopher, mystic, and activist who cared a lot about fairness and helping others. She was born in Paris in 1909 and loved learning.

Secular: Not connected with religious or spiritual matters; worldly.
Mysticism: The pursuit of spiritual truth and union with the divine through direct experience.
Affliction (Malheur): A state of profound social and physical suffering that can crush the human spirit.
Solidarity: Unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest or cause.