In the introduction to this book, TS Eliot writes: "I cannot conceive of anybody’s agreeing with all of her views, or of not disagreeing violently with some of them. But agreement and rejection are secondary: what matters is to make contact with a great soul." This, to me, summarises The Need for Roots well. This book is less about what is written and more about the framing of moral, social and political philosophy that Weil offers.

Written in 1943 and published just after WWII, this book was commissioned to understand why France capitulated so easily at the beginning of the war. It offers that and much more. Part 1: "The Needs of the Soul" is strong by itself. It is a treatise on how "rootedness" is necessary for people to be connected to place. The ideas predate many sociological ideas about place that were later taken on by pheonomenological philosophers and social geographers. Weil contests that displacement and disruption of roots creates a lethargy and, in some cases, an urge to displace others. This makes it very interesting to revisit out of context in a time when post-colonial studies are common (Weil makes occasional references to the French colonies but this is not the focus of the book).

The second and third sections are more strictly focussed on Christian morality and political philosophy relating to France in WWII, and the history of France and of western European classicism that led to the moment she was writing. These sections do not hold as much interest today except to position the text historically, but they also lend weight to the brilliant first passage, which alone is worth reading.

Overall, a fascinating piece of unearthed political philosophy.