“Gravity” in the Thought of Simone Weil
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
1997 |
Author |
|
Journal |
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research |
Volume |
57 |
Number |
1 |
Pages |
73-93 |
Language |
English |
Publish Dates |
March |
Keywords |
|
Annotation |
Simone Weil’s notion of moral gravity as analogous to scientific processes is discussed. Weil’s concept of necessity and the accompanying ideas of force, equilibrium and limit are presented and explained with a focus on her delineation of hierarchy and value in relationship to these ideas. A brief presentation of the ‘laws of thermodynamics’, i.e. conservation of energy and entropy, is followed by a discussion of the way Weil uses these concepts to develop a scientific model of the human soul. Particular attention is paid to the notion of moral gravity and Weil’s concepts of the ‘void’ and its relation to human desire. Finally a critical evaluation of Weil’s scientific analogy in relation to the human soul is given. |