Weil on Power, Oppression and Capital Globalism

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Year of Publication

2008

Author

Presler, Judith

Editor

Poe, Danielle Souffrant, Eddy

Book

Parceling the Globe: Philosophical Explorations in Globalization, Global Behavior, and Peace

Series Volume

194

Pages

125-150

Publisher

Rodopi

Place Published

Amsterdam

Language

English

Chapter

9

Series Title

Value Inquiry Book Series

Keywords

collective
force
freedom
Iliad
individualism
oppression
power
rights

Annotation

In this in-depth and lengthy chapter, Presler uses Weil's writing on power, oppression and what Presler calls Weil's 'final moral-political concepts', to reflect on aspects of global capitalism. Presler begins by presenting Weil's description of force found in her writing on the Iliad. She then turns of look at Weil's views on oppression touching upon a number of her ideas including, necessity, freedom and the collective. Next Presler considers what she characterizes as Weil's positive and negative approaches to rights. Here she discusses Weil's theory of the person in relation her theory of rights, particularly the relationship of the individual to the collective, and at greater length, Weil's concepts of 'rootedness'. In the latter part of the chapter, Presler uses the ideas of Weil she has presented to reflect on worker's needs in relation to global capitalism.