The Philosophy of Simone Weil

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Simone Weil (1909-1943) was one of the most radical and uncompromising philosophers and persons of the 20th century. Her life was, from the very beginning to the very end, dedicated to the suffering of others (or “affliction,” as she came to call it), always in such a way that that dedication cost her personally as much as possible. Through it all, she was a philosopher, trying to make sense of her ethical and political commitments, her readings of ancient Greeks, and so on. This life and these thoughts led her to a surprising place – to the Catholic Church, or at least right up to the edge of it, since she never formally joined. Many of her last and most powerful pieces of writing – essays, letters, notebooks – deal with the relationship of humans to God, of what it means to be obedient to God. In this course, we will read a wide range of her writings, along with excerpts from the great texts of Greek and Christian thought that influenced her most profoundly. Among the topics to be discussed: what does it mean to be oppressed? What makes work dignified, or not? Why does God allow us to suffer, and what obligations does the suffering of others place on us? Is membership in a particular church community necessary for a full relationship with God? All the while, we’ll also ask: who was Simone Weil, and how does the way she lived speak to the challenges we face now in the 21st century?