The Aesthetic and the Spiritual Attitude in Learning: Lessons From Simone Weil

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2010

Author

Caranfa, Angelo

Journal

Journal of Aesthetic Education

Volume

44

Number

2

Pages

63-82

Language

English

Keywords

affliction (malheur)
apprenticeship
art
attachment
beauty
'beauty of the world'
detachment
education
God
love of God
necessity
outsiders
prayer
waiting

Annotation

After briefly discussing Weil's position as an 'outsider', Caranfa turns to focus on Weil's 'method of learning' and what it might contribute to education today. She begins with a careful in-depth exposition of Weil's concepts of 'attention, detachment, silence and solitude', presenting them as central to Weil's notion of apprenticeship. Here Carnafa pays particular attention to Weil's essay "The Right Use of School Studies with a View to the love of God.” Caranfa next considers Weil’s writing on art. Drawing on Weil's thoughts about Greek civilization, her reflections on Homer’s lliad, as well as a number of other works, Caranafa presents Weil's ideas on beauty, especially the beauty of the world, necessity , detachment, affliction and most of all, attentive waiting on the 'love of God'. She ends the article with a concluding summary of Weil's 'method of instruction'.