Thought, Necessity, and Contemplation
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2000 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Phillips, D. Z. (Dewi Zephaniah) |
Book |
Discussions of Simone Weil |
Pages |
51-71 |
Publisher |
State University of New York Press |
Place Published |
Albany, NY |
Language |
English |
Chapter |
6 |
Keywords |
|
Annotation |
Rhees discusses three of Weil’s ideas here: the world as obstacle, necessity and the discipline of science. As in the previous chapter, he outlines contradictions and confusion in her use of language. He is particularly concerned in the beginning of the chapter with the way she conceptualizes and discusses reality, necessity, science, and the order of the world. In the second part, he turns to a more in-depth discussion of necessity, showing the diverse, at times confusing and changing meanings, in Weil’s use of the term. The final part of the chapter turns to a consideration of Weil’s view of science, especially the need to recognize the importance of her religious belief and her religious experience to the way she conceptualizes it. Ultimately he seems to suggest, the inability to understand Weil’s thought might be more a result of the shortcomings of those attempting to do so, then problems in the thought itself. |