Two Slices from the Same Loaf? : Weil and Levinas on the Demand of Social Justice

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2007

Author

Loughead, Tanya

Journal

Ethical Perspectives : Journal of the European Ethics Network

Volume

14

Number

2

Pages

117-138

Language

English

Keywords

Lévinas, Emmanuel
food
hunger
justice
'needs of the soul'

Annotation

This article begins with an examination of the role of ‘bread’ in Weil’s work, both literally and metaphorically. Drawing on Alex Irwin’s essay, “Devoured by God, Cannibalism, Mysticism and Ethics in Simone Weil”, Loughead discusses Weil’s views about hunger and justice, and then goes on make diverse comparisons of these views to a character in a Philip Roth novel and the ‘slow food’ movement. She goes on to critically compare Weil’s work on human needs, nourishment and bodies to that of Emmanuel Levinas, ultimately arguing that Levinas provides a richer ethical theory. The article concludes with a brief consideration of the troubling excess in both Weil’s and Levinas’ attitude toward social justice.

url

http://www.ethical-perspectives.be/viewpic.php?LAN=E&TABLE=EP&ID=1059