Simone Weil: Completing Platonism through a Consistent Materialism
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2004 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Doering, E. Jane Springsted, Eric O. |
Book |
The Christian Platonism of Simone Weil |
Series Volume |
4 |
Pages |
61-76 |
Publisher |
University of Notre Dame Press |
Place Published |
Notre Dame |
Language |
English |
Keywords |
affliction (malheur) |
Annotation |
Chenavier begins this essay by identifying what was lacking for Weil in Plato’s thought, namely no appreciation for the significance of work. He then turns to Weil’s theory of perception, tracing its development from a focus on perception to ‘knowing through action’. He considers her relationship to Marx’s theory noting where she adopts and where she rejects it, arguing Weil did not reject Marx’s materialism so much as she expanded it. Chenavier next examines the importance of contradiction for Weil, especially her contention that Marx mishandled it, while Plato used contradiction properly. The essay concludes with a discussion of the role of affliction in Weil’s theory of knowledge. |