Simone Weil: Eine Einführung

by Heinz Abosch

Simone Weil, religious socialist and anarchistic mystic, believed that philosophical work was composed not only of what one wrote, but how one lived. This dedicated, difficult to classify, philosopher was dramatically involved with the political events of her time - Hitler's dictatorship, the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the French Resistance. A perceptive critic of Marxism whose work was admired by Camus, Weil nevertheless worked tirelessly to end the exploitation of laborers. She was also committed to the emancipation of women and was an early advocate of ecological awareness. True to the often contradictory nature of her activities, when she became disillusioned with political realities Weil turned to religious transcendence which she pursued while denying the authority of the church. Abosch's book contains thorough examinations and convincing judgements which far exceed what is traditionally provided in an introductory work. Weil's commitment to the actual practice of living is examined and the contradictions in her life and work are made clear. Abosch traces the often painful actions and thoughts of one who sought to suffer with the poorest and was in a constant state of revolt. The reader learns of the restless life of the "vierge rouge" (red virgin) who...died from self-inflicted starvation.

174 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Tom LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging (and VERY well-written) introduction to Simone Weil’s thought. It’s almost a philosophical biography. It’s the story of her life with a focus on the evolution of her thinking and the events and conditions that might have influenced it. Fascinating portrait of a troubled woman who had a fierce intelligence and an extraordinary, hard-to-manage intensity. The author shows Weil under a fair and honest light, trying to dispel any prejudices about her and clear the way of unfair judgements.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spannend waren Beschreibungen von der Ausbildung ihrer politischen Haltungen und Aktionen. Auffallend oft wählt Heinz Abosch Zeitzeugenberichte, die Simone Weils Erscheinung und insbesondere ihren Körper beschreiben. Tut wirklich nichts zur Sache. Super weird. Weils Hinwendung zum Glauben bildet den kürzesten Teil dieser Einführung. Ich bin froh, dass ich nicht mit diesem Buch, sondern direkt mit ihren Texten eingestiegen bin. Die sind deutlich leichter zu lesen.

[5greenway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of valuable stuff in this introduction, but at times it was a bit all over the place and didn't seem to decide between a chronological development of Weil's thought and jumping around with snippets from all over the place. I got the impression the author wanted a clear chronology, but her career didn't really lend itself to this. The slightly hackneyed Freudian tinge to a lot of this was annoying, but maybe that's just me. Worth reading, but doesn't really succeed in what it set out to do - you sensed there could be a more successful synthesis of published works, unpublished writings and lived actions (considering all the formal problems in each of these) that this didn't quite manage to be.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the author is far from right at many points in his views about the validity of Weil’s ideas, I believe his final assessment is correct.

“Weil arrived at great perceptions as well as grave misunderstandings...Exemplary is the unique courage of conviction, quite irrespective of her views, which she changed often.”