The Practice of Attention: Simone Weil’s Performance of Impersonality
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
2003 |
Author |
|
Journal |
Critical Inquiry |
Volume |
29 |
Number |
2 |
Pages |
216-252 |
Language |
English |
Publish Dates |
Winter |
Keywords |
affliction (malheur) |
Annotation |
Simone Weil’s concept of decreation as self-annihilation in terms of what it is, how it is achieved and what its achievement might mean for the person achieving it, is given in-depth consideration. The article begins with a clarification of Weil’s concept of decreation both in terms of what it is and is not, then moves on to discuss the importance of Weil’s idea of attention in relation to achieving this decreation. The article then turns to a lengthy consideration of Weil’s notion of affliction and its role in decreation, followed by an examination of Weil’s ideas around violence in relation to affliction and ultimately in decreation. The article concludes by offering some possibilities of what a life shaped by Weil’s decreation might be. |