Simone Weil and the Divine Poetry of Mathematics
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2004 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Doering, E. Jane Springsted, Eric O. |
Book |
The Christian Platonism of Simone Weil |
Pages |
95-114 |
Publisher |
University of Notre Dame Press |
Place Published |
Notre Dame, Indiana |
Language |
English |
Chapter |
6 |
Keywords |
Christianity |
Annotation |
Morgan looks at Weil’s work on mathematics and the role it played in her religious thought. He starts with her view of Greek science beginning with the Pythagoreans, going on to explain which aspects of their mathematical theory Weil connected to her concept of religious truth. He then examines the way Weil applies the notion of the ‘mediation of incommensurables’ to justice, friendship and love, ultimately tying them to the Christian faith and, in particular, to incarnation. In the final portion of the essay, Morgan connects his earlier discussion to Weil’s belief that the crisis of the modern world is brought on by its failure to see mathematics and science as bridges to transcendent truth. Especially important is the misunderstanding or misuse of the notion of contradiction by modern science and the failure to see Christianity as the guide to the right use of such contradiction. |