Gravity is a key concept in weils moral and spiritual psychology, and. Simone weil, gravity and grace the mind is not forced to believe in the existence of anything subjectivism, absolute idealism, solipsism, skepticism. In it gustave thibon, the farmer to whom she had entrusted her notebooks before her untimely death, compiled in one remarkable volume a compendium of her writings that have become a source of spirit. A conversation with simone weil issue 118 philosophy now. The way i learned about weil was through two books, gravity and grace. Intellectually precocious, weil also expressed social awareness at an early age. A poem of simone weil itself concludes i will quote a couple of paragraphs from stephanie stricklands evocative prose introduction to simone weil. Simone weil was one of the most remarkable thinkers of the past century.
Please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be. Suffering is thus not an evil or a punishment, but a means to achieving gods grace. I have great sympathy for her, but sympathy is not necessarily congeniality. The film follows grace as she finds a connection to a cult predicting doomsday and the arrival of a spaceship, and gravity, who flees new zealand to try her luck as an artist in new york city. Before concluding these excerpts, and my simone weil site, with the poem with which the red virgin. Simone weil on the generosity of attention in gravity and. The sacrificial faith of simone weil by susan hanson. The introduction explains weils philosophy and helps in understanding the book. Originally published posthumously in two volumes, these newly. Explore some of simone weil best quotations and sayings on such as a test of what is real is that it is hard and rough.
That is what we have to give to godin other words, to destroy. The striking aphorisms in gravity and grace reflect the religious philosophy of. Simone weil, gravity and grace chpt 16 affliction metaxu. Simone weil pronounced vey, because of her roots in france, despite what i understand to be the german origin of her family name was one of the most brilliant, fascinating, and edifying. At the center of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased by any object in this world 2. Recommended reading of simone weil gravity and grace letters to a priest the iliad or the poem of force the notebooks of simone weil.
We possess nothing in the worlda mere chance can strip us of everythingexcept the power to say i. Stephanie stricklands the red virgin, a poem of simone weil. Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive it, and it is grace itself which makes this void. Gravity and grace 1 void and compensation 5 to accept the void 10 detachment 12 imagination which fills the void 16 renunciation of time 19 to desire without an object 22 the self 26 decreation 32 selfeffacement 40 necessity and obedience 43 illusions 51 idolatry 60 love 62 evil 69 af. Her persistent desire for truth and justice led her to both elite academies and factory floors, political praxis and spiritual solitude. It would be easier to write of her if i liked what she had to say, which i strongly do not. What is real a test of what is real is that it is hard and rough. In a work that is both dense and ratified, springsted an ordained presbyterian chaplain and president of the american weil society examines weils belief that human suffering is as much ordained by the creation as is human existence.
Gravity and grace, i gave three stars, in large part, because much of what she says is beyond my capacity, intellectual and or spiritual. Early in 1942, shortly before sailing from france to new york, weil presented gustave thibon with a portfolio of papers, asking him to read them and take care of them during her exile. Sep 21, 2016 the philosopher, mystic and activist simone weil had a beautiful way of describing the world that saw the interplay between what she called gravity and grace. The life of french philosophical writer and activist simone weil made a noticeable impact in many spheres of intellectual thought despite her politicallyorientated, voluntary starvation little more than three decades after her birth. Gravity and grace was the first ever publication by the remarkable thinker and activist, simone weil. This piercing thought comes fully abloom in gravity and grace public library a. Simone weil was a french philosopher, writer, labor activist, theologian, revolutionary, and mystic. The introduction explains weil s philosophy and helps in understanding the book. New search eresources user lists feedback help collection delivery times. Gravity and grace is a slim book of in my edition just 160 pages which holds within itself the quintessence of the greatest spiritual genius of the 20th century. Have those who have fallen so low pity on themselves. Dive deep into simone weils gravity and grace with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion.
Attention manifests in prayer and a turning toward god, but the material you attend to that makes up the quality of that prayer is anything the light touches. There is nothing sacred except the good and what is relative to the good. The striking aphorisms in gravity and grace reflect the religious philosophy of weil s last years. It contains one great essay, the opening essay here titled human personality which was written in 1943, the year of her death in england at the age of thirtyfour. We possess nothing in the worlda mere chance can strip us of everythingexcept the power to say. Simone weil s religious thought in the light of catholic theology georges frfinaud, o. Robert chenaviers comprehensive and judicious precis of simone weils thought is the fruit of years as a student and editor of weils oeuvre, as president of the french weil society and editor of the journal devoted entirely to her thought. Simona giurgea performing simone weils essay the iliad or.
Simone weil born in 1909 in paris, weils father was a doctor. Simone weil wrote these words at a time when the world was embroiled in widespread conflict and at a time. Simone weil 19091943 was a defining figure of the twentieth century. Gravity and grace 1st edition simone weil routledge book. It was first published in french in 1949, titled lenracinement. A conversation with simone weil elisabetta rombi talks social justice and love with the revolutionary philosopher. Dec 06, 2017 the good is the only source of the sacred. This idea of connecting distance was of the first importance for weils understanding of the created.
Simone weil, gravity and grace this power to live with paradox has everything to do with what she calls the rarest and purest form of generosity. Her brother was the noted mathematician andre weil. Search the catalogue for collection items held by the national library of australia. Some of the other key concepts of her philosophy are good and evil, gravity, the void, grace, beauty, suffering, attention, and waiting for god. In it gustave thibon, the farmer to whom she had entrusted her notebooks before her untimely death, compiled in one remarkable volume a compendium of her writings that have become a source of spiritual guidance and wisdom for countless individuals. With this lucid and decisive formulation of the dualism of gravity and grace, weil arrives at her mature vision, which is forthrightly gnostic. Simone weil was one of the most remarkable women of the twentieth, or indeed of any other century. As they have come out i have read them all again, and with them her new, unabridged notebooks. Simone weil born in 1909 in paris, weil s father was a doctor. Springsted traces the gradual development of these concepts through weils.
The first english translation was published in 1952. Lenracinement, prelude a une declaration des devoirs envers letre humain is a book by simone weil. In it gustave thibon, the farmer to whom she had entrusted. Every separation is a link edit the concept of metaxu, which weil borrowed from plato, is that which both separates and connects e. Pity goes down to a certain level but not below it. Weil throughout gravity and grace affirmed the core of christian teaching. Richard serras torqued ellipse i and torqued ellipse ii 199697, now permanently installed at dia. Simone weil project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. This new volume of translations from simone weils work, selected essays 193443, displays her somewhat marginally. According to his preface to gravity grace, thi and s is the. In gravity and grace, weil argues that creation occurs where god has withdrawn from the world.
In 1952 this english translation accelerated the fame and influence of simone weil. Simone weil, nervous, aware of her superficial unattractiveness and compelled to exaggerate it, talked at him endlessly in a maddening monotone, a brutal assault of talk that made it impossible to settle any practical problems, and left him physically exhausted. Letter to a priest, gravity and grace and the need for roots. Every separation is a link the concept of metaxu, which weil borrowed from plato, is that which both separates and connects e. Mar 03, 2016 moral gravity makes us fall towards the heights. Simone weil pain, hands, suffering 120 copy quote just as the power of the sun is the only force in the natural universe that causes a plant to grow against gravity, so the grace of god is the only force in the spiritual universe that causes a person to grow against the gravity of their own ego. The philosopher, mystic and activist simone weil had a beautiful way of describing the world that saw the interplay between what she called gravity. Simone weil, french mystic, social philosopher, and activist in the french resistance during world war ii, whose posthumously published works had particular influence on french and english social thought.
Gravity and grace excerpts as noted from gravity and grace by simone weil, new york, g. Simone weil 19091943 philosophized on thresholds and across borders. Beacon, remind me of simone weils axiom that all the natural movements of the soul are controlled by the laws analogous to those of physical gravity. The striking aphorisms in gravity and grace reflect the religious philosophy of weils last years. Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. The first interview turned out to be quite as ridiculous as he had expected. Gravity and grace was the first of simone weil s books to be published in english. There is absolutely no other free act which it is given us to accomplishonly the destruction of the. Eliot as a woman of genius, of a kind of genius akin to that of the saints, and by albert camus as the only great spirit of our time. Nov, 2014 simone weil was an intellectual and mystic.
After receiving her baccalaureat with honors at 15, she studied philosophy for four years, then entered 1928 the prestigious ecole normale superieure, from which she graduated in 1931. Gravity and grace was the first of simone weils books to be published in english. Early in 1942, shortly before sailing from france to new york, weil presented gustave thibon with a portfolio. Simona giurgea, senior lecturer of english in the university theater, colgate university, performing simone weils essay the iliad or the poem of force translated by mary mccarthy. As she famously wrote in gravity and grace, weil suggested that a man facing. Gravity and grace, i gave three stars, in large part, because much of what she says is beyond my capacity, intellectual andor spiritual. Together with gravity and grace, it represents the full array of weils thinking on subjects. Feb 03, 2009 theology was where weil s mind excelled. Weil came to her philosophical and religious ideas by a path that included elite university training, factory work, potato digging, harvest in the. At different times she was an activist, a pacifist, a militant, a mystic, and an exile. Gravity and grace by simone weil national library of. Routledge and kegan paul, 1972 1952 isbn 071002262x. December 6, 2017 january 12, 2018 gregorystackpole the good is the only source of the sacred.
Simone weils religious thought in the light of catholic theology georges frfinaud, o. Simona giurgea performing simone weils essay the iliad. Simone weil article about simone weil by the free dictionary. She began her career as a school philosophy teacher in 1931 at le puy, and for the next few years interspersed teaching with various laboring jobs to empathize with the working class. According to his preface to gravity grace, thi and s. Together with gravity and grace, it represents the full array of weils thinking on subjects ranging from baptism to friendship and from school studies to the nature of love.
Jun 29, 2015 simona giurgea, senior lecturer of english in the university theater, colgate university, performing simone weils essay the iliad or the poem of force translated by mary mccarthy. Essays and criticism on simone weils gravity and grace critical essays. All the natural movements of the soul are controlled by laws analogous to those of physical gravity. The concept of metaxu, which weil borrowed from plato, is that which both separates and connects e. Considered by nobel laureate andre gide and others to be the most truly spiritual writer of the 20th century, simone weil would no doubt be confounded by all the fuss.
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