Simone Weil (1909-1943) On Love Simone Weil (1909-1943) was a Jewish-born French spiritual philosopher, and was also a political activist with communist and anarchist leanings. She studied philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and taught philosophy at a secondary school. She took a year off to work as a manual worker at a factory   in order to connect with the working class. She later participated in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists, until she was burnt in...