Justice and the Betrayal of Freedom: On Hannah Arendt, Simone Weil and Emmanuel Levinas

Publication Type

Thesis

Year of Publication

2000

Author

Gayman, Cynthia Jane

Publisher

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Place Published

Illinois

Work Type

Ph.D.

Language

English

Advisor

Steinbock, Anthony

Keywords

affliction (malheur)
attention
Lévinas, Emmanuel
force
Arendt, Hannah
justice
oppression
metaxu (intermediaries)

Annotation

Gayman's discussion of Weil arises within the context of her attempt to 'articulate a relation between subjectivity and justice, arguing the freedom 'to be oneself' is 'grounded in responsibility'. (p. 1). In the first chapter, Gayman introduces some of Weil's writing about force, oppression and injustice, and the responsibility that arises in a consideration of the political and social response to them. These ideas are developed in greater depth in the third chapter in relation to Weil's understanding of subjectivity. The discussion broadens to encompass a consideration of Weil's notions of necessity, attention, affliction and briefly or intermediaries. Ultimately Gayman argues Weil's work serves a bridge between the thought of Arendt and Levinas.