The Need for Roots
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2000 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Phillips, D. Z. (Dewi Zephaniah) |
Book |
Discussions of Simone Weil |
Pages |
31-41 |
Publisher |
State University of New York Press |
Place Published |
Albany, NY |
Language |
English |
Chapter |
4 |
Keywords |
|
Annotation |
Rhees looks at Weil’s, The Need for Roots, comparing it to her earlier thought in “Oppression and Liberty”. He begins by looking at her notion of social forces, especially in relation to her concepts of gravity and grace. He raises many questions about these concepts, and is particularly critical of Weil’s attempt to discuss grace, the operation of the supernatural, in the same way she discusses the laws of gravity. Rhees then turns to a discussion of Weil’s concept of ‘rootedness’, noting how she has moved from a more sociological perspective in her earlier work, to a far more nuanced, discussion of the needs of the individual in The Need for Roots. |