Essays and criticism on simone weils the iliad critical essays. Her analysis is a corrective to misunderstandings of force. A critical edition 3rd revised edition by weil, simone, holoka, james p. In her writings she investigated religion, science and art with a true love for god and humanity. Truly, he was far from warm baths, that hapless man. War and the iliad joins together for the first time in a single volume simone weils ferocious lament the iliad or the poem of force, with her less well known contemporary rachel bespaloffs antiphonal meditation on conflict, pacifism and justice. May 26, 2006 simone weil, a brilliant young teacher, philosopher, and social activist, wrote the essay, the iliad or the poem of force at france at the beginning of world war ii. Simone weil s the iliad, or the poem of force is one of her most celebrated works an inspired analysis of homers epic that presents a nightmare vision of combat as a machine in which all humanity is lost. The relation between hannah arendt and simone weil can be viewed through the sign of a double paradox. The attention at its fullest is the highest ecstasy. In her perceptive take on homers poem, she describes force as the true hero, the true subject, the center of the iliad, and defines it as that x that turns anybody who. Her profound meditation on the nature of violence provides a remarkably vivid and accessible testament of the greek epics continuing relevance to our lives.
Simone weil s essay shows you a woman reading the iliad in an extraordinarily sensitive way. Published by the lapis press posted on december 31, 2015 by j. So, in the spirit of weil, let me present my thoughts, inspired by hers. The force that men wield, the force that subdues men, in the face of which human flesh shrinks back. Simone weils the iliad, or the poem of force is one of her most celebrated worksan inspired analysis of homers epic that presents a nightmare vision of combat as a machine in which all humanity is lost. A science which does not bring us nearer to god is worthless. Nearly all of the iliad takes place far from warm baths. Elizabeth jane doering is a professor emerita of the university of notre dame, and has been reading french philosopher simone weil for well over two decades with a particular interest in her social and political ideas and how her thought evolved after a. This book is actually a collection of three essays. Weil, a philosopher, social activist, marxist, and ascetic, admired the iliad for its honesty in treating the realities of war, its foregrounding of love in different relationships, and the equity. Pdf simone weils work has always been appreciated for its evocative beauty, but not always for its potential contributions to political thought.
This celebrated work appears here for the first time in a. Simone weil, a brilliant young teacher, philosopher, and social activist, wrote the essay, the iliad or the poem of force at france at the beginning of world war ii. The essay is about homers epic poem the iliad and contains reflections on the conclusions one can draw from the epic regarding the nature of force in human affairs. This chapter falls into three closely interrelated parts. She taught intermittently throughout the 1930s, taking several breaks due to poor health and to devote herself to political activism, work that would see her assisting in the trade union. Simone weil project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Force employed by man, force that enslaves man, force before which mans flesh shrinks away. An essay on violence but words of reason drop into the void.
Simone weil, french mystic, social philosopher, and activist in the french resistance during world war ii, whose posthumously published works had particular influence on french and english social thought. Simone weil s work has always been appreciated for its evocative beauty, but not always for its potential contributions to political thought. A conversation between flannery oconnor and simone weil 2019 and over three dozen articles on the. Simone weil the iliad or the poem of force pendle hill wallingford pennsylvania the iliad, or the poem of force was written in the summer and fall of 1940, after the fall of france. Simone weils father, a doctor, had been conscripted for medical service soon after the outbreak of the war. First of all, theirs is the sign of a missed encounter. Simone weil books list of books by author simone weil. Simone weil s war and the iliad, rachel bespaloffs on the iliad published after weil s essay but probably at least partly influenced by it, and hermann brochs the style of the mythical age.
Weil s essay attempts to explain the mentality of the characters in the poem when they are in victory or in despair, what its real subject is the subject is force, power, might, which is defined as that which makes a thing of anybody who comes under its sway. War and the iliad joins together for the first time in a single volume simone weil s ferocious lament the iliad or the poem of force, with her less well known contemporary rachel bespaloffs antiphonal meditation on conflict, pacifism and justice. War and the iliad is a perfect introduction to the range of homers art as well as a provocative and rewarding demonstration of the links between literature, philosophy, and questions of life and death. The iliad or the poem of force simone weil originally published in politics, november 1945. Simone weil 19091943 wrote her slim but powerful book. The story of his return, or nostos, to his kingdom of ithaca is given short shrift by weil, saying in passing, the odyssey seems merely a good imitation, now of the iliad, now of oriental poems but there is a long tradition which sees it in fact as a fuller expression of the love she describes, as an allegory of a spiritual journey. The iliad, or the poem of force is a 24page essay written in 1939 by simone weil. She calls the iliad the purest and loveliest of mirrors for the way it. Weils essay attempts to explain the mentality of the characters in the poem when they are in victory or in despair, what its real subject is the subject is force, power, might, which is defined as that which makes a thing of anybody who comes under its sway. The most compelling thing she sees in homers poem of war is the idea of force. The poem of force was written in the summer and fall of 1940, after the fall of france. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Davis this marvelous essay by french philosopher, activist, and christian mystic simone weil came along at just the right time for me. Travelling with her family from base to base, simone came to know at close range the tragic reverberations of war.
War and the iliad simone weil, rachel bespaloff, hermann. Intellectually precocious, weil also expressed social awareness at an early age. Two of the most important thinkers of the century, both jewish and both deeply touched by the experience of persecution and exile, never had the chance to meet, each one generating their thought in distinct and distant circles. In this essay, we engage in a reappraisal of her political thought, and of her relevance to contemporary. Weil, simone, the iliad, or the poem of force, chicago. Simone weil the iliad, or the poem of force the iliad, or, the poem of force was written in the summer and fall of 1940, after the fall of france. Essays and criticism on simone weil s the iliad critical essays. It may thus be read as an indirect commentary on that tragic event, which signalized the triumph of the most extreme modern ex pression of force. Although most of simone weil s published writings are now available in english, i feel that english readers will be interested in these notes of her lectures, taken down by madame anne reynaudguerithault when she was a pupil in a girls lycee at roanne where simone weil taught philosophy in the school year 19334.
First published on the eve of war in 1939, the essay has often been read as a pacifist manifesto. The first sentence of the iliad thus proclaims weil s principal thesis with a directness. The iliad, or the poem of force, in 1940, after the fall of her native france to the nazis. Simone weils essay shows you a woman reading the iliad in an extraordinarily sensitive way. The iliad, or, the poem of force was written in the summer and fall of 1940, after the fall of france. It may thus be read as an indirect commentary on that tragic event, which signalized the triumph of the most extreme modern expression of force. Seventyfive years ago, as the nazis were methodically implementing their conquest of europe, the french philosophermystic simone weil published a long essay titled the iliad, or the poem of force. Mary mccarthy was the original translator, and her luminous work is reprinted here.
In this essay, we engage in a reappraisal of her political thought, and of her relevance to contemporary politics. Dec 07, 2015 the attention at its fullest is the highest ecstasy. The force that men wield, the force that subdues men. Simone weil s father, a doctor, had been conscripted for medical service soon after the outbreak of the war. It first discusses weils personal background, then focuses on her reaction tointerpretation of the. Simone weils religious thought 353 which is the object of a positive sensation, more positive than that of sound. The iliad appeared in the november 1945 issue of politics and was later issued in pamphlet form. Her parents, both of whom came from jewish families, provided her with an assimilated, secular, bourgeois french childhood both cultured and comfortable. Although most of simone weils published writings are now available in english, i feel that english readers will be interested in these notes of her lectures, taken down by madame anne reynaudguerithault when she was a pupil in a girls lycee at roanne where simone weil taught philosophy in the school year 19334. The first sentence of the iliad thus proclaims weils principal thesis with a directness. Simone weils the iliad, or the poem of force is one of her most celebrated worksan inspired analysis of homers epic that presents a nightmare vision of combat as a machine in. In this work, at all times, the human spirit is shown as modified by its relations with. Iliad or the poem of force by simone weil librarything. Simone weil was a french philosopher, writer, labor activist, theologian, revolutionary, and mystic.
Simone weil wrote her powerful essay, the iliad, or the poem of force, in 1939 40, during the fall of france, her native country, to the nazis. Noises, if there are any, only reach me after crossing this silence. Weil was born in her parents apartment in paris on 3 february 1909, the daughter of bernard, a medical doctor, and saolomea weil. The true hero, the true subject, the center of the iliad is. The true hero, the true subject, the center of the iliad is force. Pdf the iliad or the poem of force semantic scholar. The power of words 81 this essay seeks to bridge the metaphysical and spiritual world of simone weil with the homeric world, suggesting that weil provides us. The true hero, the true subject matter, the center of the iliad is force. Additional books by simone weil is list is not exhaustive in conjunction with those mentioned above, but this covers the large bulk of those available in english. Simone weil wrote her powerful essay, the iliad, or the poem of force, in 193940, during the fall of france, her native country, to the nazis. It is the only one of weils writings on ancient greek literature which is commonly used in university courses on the classics. Simone weils work has always been appreciated for its evocative beauty, but not always for its potential contributions to political thought. The iliad or the poem of force simone weil internet archive. It may thus be read as in indirect commentary on that tragic event, which signal ized the triumph of the most extreme modern expression of force.
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