What Unites Tyrants and Slaves

The terrifying aspect of power lies in its assumption of boundlessness. It is terrifying for the tyrant as it drives him mad. However, it is also terrifying for the slave. Is there a Stoic on Earth who would not be corrupted by even the simplest cruelties—hunger, blows—if subjected to them with absolute arbitrariness?

Simone Weil (1909-1943) was a French religious thinker (who, despite her religious convictions, refused baptism), an activist, and a participant in the Spanish Civil War. She was one of the most heroic women of the 20th century.