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3.5
The Power of Words
ByPublisher Description
'There are certain words which possess, in themselves, when properly used, a virtue which illumines and lifts up towards the good'
The philosopher and activist Simone Weil was one of the most courageous thinkers of the twentieth century. Here she writes, with honesty and moral clarity, about the manipulation of language by the powerful, the obligations of individuals to one another and the needs - for order, equality, liberty and truth - that make us human.
One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.
The philosopher and activist Simone Weil was one of the most courageous thinkers of the twentieth century. Here she writes, with honesty and moral clarity, about the manipulation of language by the powerful, the obligations of individuals to one another and the needs - for order, equality, liberty and truth - that make us human.
One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.
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3.5
“It was interesting to read Simone’s pure thoughts, she is so well spoken. It’s nice to learn of a persons views from a completely different time, and place. Very thought provoking. I honestly found the needs of the soul quite difficult to read, she would be very descriptive in getting to making what I felt was quite a simple statement. I may not have been in the right headspace though as I quite enjoyed the first two essays, and how she would work towards the point of her argument and be able to quite clearly and beautifully get to the point she was making.”
“There were parts of this that I strongly resonated with and parts I disagreed with (though most were due to the cultural relevance). That said, this is still surprisingly applicable to life today. I’m glad I read it.
-Physical book from my personal library 📚”
“There were definitely lots of things that resonated with me, especially in her first essay. It’s heartbreaking that so many of the sentiments she brings up are still occurring today- from that perspective reading her thoughts definitely is interesting if you want to see the parallels between her 1937 context to our 2026 contest.
There were a lot of things that didn’t add anything for me, nor did I enjoy. Especially in the last essay. But I’ll still glad I read it!”
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