Semantics of the Unspeakable: Six Sentences by Simone Weil
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2000 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Leonard, Philip |
Book |
Trajectories of Mysticism in Theory and Literature |
Pages |
72-93 |
Publisher |
St. Martin's Press |
Place Published |
New York |
Language |
English |
Keywords |
|
Annotation |
Winchell begins by discussing the problem of language in relation to mysticism, particularly the difficulty of relating experiences that are said to transgress or transcend the boundaries of what can be expressed. He then turns to six sentences of Simone Weil, taken from Gravity and Grace to elaborate upon these issues. Ultimately, he is interested in the relationship between the mystic’s language and body, a relationship, which may extend to the reader of the mystic’s words and the reader’s body. His exploration of these very complex connections draws on modern philosophy of language, Wittgenstein and structuralist semiotics. |