The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell. – Simone Weil
What a country calls its vital… interests are not things that help its people live, but things that help it make war. – Simone Weil
Evil being the root of mystery, pain is the root of knowledge. – Simone Weil
Imagination is always the fabric of social life and the dynamic of history. The influence of real needs and compulsions, of real interests and materials, is indirect because the crowd is never conscious of it. – Simone Weil
The Robben Island Bible has arrived at the British Museum. Its a garish thing, its cover plastered with pink and gold Hindu images, designed to hide its contents. Within is the finest collection of words generated by human intelligence: the complete works of William Shakespeare. – Daniel Hannan