I would suggest that barbarism be considered as a permanent and universal human characteristic which becomes more or less pronounced according to the play of circumstances.
Simone WeilTo claim that theft or adultery or lying are "evil" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-โthat it has something to do with respect for property, respectability, and sincerity.
Simone WeilThe intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.
Simone WeilBeauty captivates the flesh in order to obtain permission to pass right through to the soul. . . . When the feeling for beauty happens to be associated with the sight of some human being, the transference of love is made possible, at any rate in an illusory manner. But it is all the beauty of the world, it is universal beauty, for which we yearn.
Simone Weil