Meg > Recent Status Updates

(pg 288) This whole page briefly touches on Greek symbolism, e.g. God as a circle and the relationship between geometry, mathematics and theology. Pretty brilliant, but I feel like if I was better at mathematics, I'd appreciate it even more.

(pgs 284-286) More on Divine Providence and the affinity between Stoicism and Christianity. As a side note, it's funny how Weil despises the Romans as much as she loves the Greeks. This quote is a perfect example (pg 286): "Naturally, when the Romans felt obliged to dishonour Stoicism by adopting it, they substituted in place of love an insensibility based on pride."

On Divine Providence as the order of the world.

(Pgs 276-279) More on bad and dumb theology, illogical thoughts in re Providence and God. I think this is where Simone Weil really shines. She manages to articulate these sort of philosophical/theological misconceptions and ideas brilliantly.

(pg 275 cont...) ..."The devotion of a slave fro the man who looks upon him as his property is a base affair.The love which drives a free man to bring himself body and soul into servitude to what constitutes perfect good, that is the opposite of servile love."

(pgs 268-275) Expounding on the relationship between the Roman Emperors and subjects (as slaves) and the parallels brought into theological thought.
(pg 275)"To ascribe to God sovereign rights without obligations is to turn him into the infinite equivalent of a Roman slave-holder. This can only allow for a servile devotion. ....(cont..)

Interesting observations regarding God being turned into a counterpart of the Emperor (of Rome) or Pharaoh (as Jehovah).

On to August. Have nearly caught up.

(pgs 259-266) Interesting ideas about Divine Providence and the concept of a personal Providence and an impersonal Providence with special focus on an impersonal Providence "almost like a mechanism".
(pg 260) "All the parables about the seed are connected with this notion of an impersonal Providence. Grace descends from God upon all beings; what becomes of it depends on what they are;..."

(pg 259 continued) ..."But there is an answer. It is that that the object of human thought is itself thought. The savant's true aim is the union of his own mind with the mysterious wisdom eternally inscribed in the universe. That being so, how should there be any opposition or even separation between the spirit of science and that of religion? Scientific investigation is simply a form of religious contemplation."

(pg 258 continued) ..."What can we find to love about it, if it isn't its beauty? The true definition of science is this: the study of the beauty of the world."
(pg 259) "How should human thought ever have any other object but thought? That is so well-known a difficulty in the theory of knowledge that one gives up trying to fathom it, leaving it on one side as an accepted fact."...(continued in next update)

Pg 258 finally we have her remedy.
"The remedy is to bring back again among us the spirit of truth, and to start with in religion and science; which implies that the two of them should become reconciled.
The spirit of truth can dwell in science on condition that the motive prompting the savant is the love of the object which forms the stuff of his investigations. That object is the universe in which we live."...

(pgs257-258) Question to ask oneself from time to time "Am I in line with truth?" or before investing one's time into something "Am I going to find truth here?" Interesting thought experiment that reminded me of Dostoevsky's "The Idiot" which I'm guessing Weil must have read.

(pgs 252- 256) On the problem with modern "savants" and scientists, (i.e., comparing their specialties to trying to win a chess game rather than as sculptor uncovering a sculpture; concern with one's own importance not good or evil effects; subservience to collective opinion and people pleasing as opposed to a search for truth, etc.).

pgs 250-251 on the difference between truth and knowledge... these two pages are pretty brilliant.

(pg 249-250) On applying this method to the analysis of science during the past three or four centuries, one is bound to recognize that the beautiful word truth stands infinitely above it. The savants, in the efforts they put forth day to day in the course of their lives, cannot be urged on by the desire to posses truth. For what they acquire is simply knowledge, and knowledge is not in itself and object of desire.

(pg 248 continued) "Science is not a fruit of the spirit of truth, and this is obvious as soon as one looks into the matter.
For the effort of scientific research, such as it has been understood since the sixteenth century, cannot possess as its motive the love of truth."

(pg 248-249) Finally realised that all of her ideas in this section are based on the concept of in Matthew 7:16-18 "Good tree = good fruit, corrupt tree = evil fruit. It felt a bit little like finding a key to unlock understanding. "The Savants insist that the public should regard science with that religious respect which is owed to truth, and the public accepts to do so. But it is being deceived." ...

(pg 247-248) On Pascal, Christianity and Pragmatism.

(pg 246) interesting quote on Dostoevsky; interesting comments on the elan vital being a thing of Pragmatism as opposed to true mystics and mysticism.

(pgs 239-241) On the contradictions between science and humanism and their effects on philosophies.
(pgs 241-243) On modern science vs. science of the Greeks.
(pgs 244-245) On the incompatibility of modern science and the spirit of religion, esp. Christians. Interesting observations on the middle class remaining Christian, it being more a socially fitting thing. "Whoever hasn't any religious faith cannot lose it"

(pgs 236-238) on the worship of Science as the new god/religion in France and elsewhere.

(pgs 230-235) On the relationship between art and politics and false greatness vs true greatness. Interesting list of whose work she deems to be truly great.

Observations on history being written by the victors, and cruelty in the present being condemned, but cruelty in the past getting a pass as being a part of milieu, however, cruelty in the past is as evil and cruel as evil and cruelty done in the present.

Really, at this point, just reading to figure out whether or not I should keep or sell off the collection of Dresden books a friend gave me in Jan. this year. So far, I haven't read anything to convince me to hold on to them, but we'll see.

(pg 214/15) on the affinity between art and politics and shooting for the ideal to get something decent ; (pg 216) power not as an end but a means and how power is often sought after as an end not a means.

(pgs 207-210) Interesting observations on how sacrifice beyond one's goodwill can lead to resentment or obsession.
(pg 209) "Thus, when the sacrifices made on behalf of an object greatly surpass the impulse which induced them, the result is, as regards this object, either a movement of repulsion or else an attachment of a new and more intense kind, unconnected with the initial impulse."

Interesting observations: (pg 201) on obeying orders i.e., a soldier's observations on the ability to place oneself voluntarily in harms way under the direction of orders; (pg 203) on not placing the sphere of leadership in the hands of technicians, "it is inevitable that evil should dominate whenever the technical side of things is ether completely or almost completely sovereign."

pgs 196-200 on how the French can recover a genuine purpose (a bit too idealistic imo) and an interesting look at how to apply Matthew 7:16-18 when making choices and decisions.