Options
Animal e impersonnel: sull’umano in Simone Weil
Simeoni, Francesca
2019
Abstract
This contribution explores the concept of Human in Simone Weil, starting from the perspective
given by the theme of the Animal. The distinction between Human and Animal initiates a
series of reflections. The first one deals with the necessity of leaving the aspect of appropriation,
which is proper to the need, and instead having access to the transcendent dimension of
the desire. A further detachment from the notion of Animal takes place through the assumption
of affliction (malheur). The possibility to consent to malheur is the key not only to the ethical
sphere of compassion, but also to the cognitive faculty of attention. These successive passages
are summarized, in Weil's last writings, as a movement that goes beyond the person and
the community, towards the impersonal (impersonnel), perhaps the most original outcome of
Weilian anthropology.This contribution explores the concept of Human in Simone Weil, starting from the perspective
given by the theme of the Animal. The distinction between Human and Animal initiates a
series of reflections. The first one deals with the necessity of leaving the aspect of appropriation,
which is proper to the need, and instead having access to the transcendent dimension of
the desire. A further detachment from the notion of Animal takes place through the assumption
of affliction (malheur). The possibility to consent to malheur is the key not only to the ethical
sphere of compassion, but also to the cognitive faculty of attention. These successive passages
are summarized, in Weil's last writings, as a movement that goes beyond the person and
the community, towards the impersonal (impersonnel), perhaps the most original outcome of
Weilian anthropology.
given by the theme of the Animal. The distinction between Human and Animal initiates a
series of reflections. The first one deals with the necessity of leaving the aspect of appropriation,
which is proper to the need, and instead having access to the transcendent dimension of
the desire. A further detachment from the notion of Animal takes place through the assumption
of affliction (malheur). The possibility to consent to malheur is the key not only to the ethical
sphere of compassion, but also to the cognitive faculty of attention. These successive passages
are summarized, in Weil's last writings, as a movement that goes beyond the person and
the community, towards the impersonal (impersonnel), perhaps the most original outcome of
Weilian anthropology.This contribution explores the concept of Human in Simone Weil, starting from the perspective
given by the theme of the Animal. The distinction between Human and Animal initiates a
series of reflections. The first one deals with the necessity of leaving the aspect of appropriation,
which is proper to the need, and instead having access to the transcendent dimension of
the desire. A further detachment from the notion of Animal takes place through the assumption
of affliction (malheur). The possibility to consent to malheur is the key not only to the ethical
sphere of compassion, but also to the cognitive faculty of attention. These successive passages
are summarized, in Weil's last writings, as a movement that goes beyond the person and
the community, towards the impersonal (impersonnel), perhaps the most original outcome of
Weilian anthropology.
Journal
Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Francesca Simeoni, "Animal e impersonnel: sull’umano in Simone Weil", in "Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics (2019) XXI/2", Trieste, EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste, 2019, pp. 155-170
Languages
it
File(s)
Loading...
Name
11_EP2019_2.pdf
Size
185.14 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
41438aa7b729ea658fc0e3748e530c01