"Rooting" is the final treatise by the philosopher Simone Weil (1909–1943). Begun as an extended introduction to the draft "Declaration of Duties to Man," which Weil proposed to de Gaulle's legislative commission for "Fighting France" to replace the 1789 "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen," the treatise expanded considerably during its development: an analysis of the causes of France's defeat in 1940 evolved into an outline of the country's fundamental development trends from the late Middle Ages to the present. From a justification of duties, Weil moved on to a justification of her entire political philosophy, inseparable from her religious and ethical views. The result is a work that summarizes the essence of her writings, both previously and during World War II—a definitive work, not limited by the political situation of her time, but looking to the future.