back
Philosophy

Formed by the philosopher Alain, and assimilating his notion of the Real as a conjunction of geometry and experience which blend into travail (work).

Le corps athlète et l’esprit géomètre prenant comme objet la satisfaction des besoins, tel est le travailleur. (98) An athletic body and geometric mind that take as their object the satisfaction of needs, such is the worker
She is even more grounded in Classical Greek and European thinking notably Plato who is for her the embodiment of "a philosophical tradition" who’s exponents share a profond identity.
Platon est le représentant le plus parfait sans doute de cette tradition. (124) Plato is the most perfect representative of this tradition
She also cites the Baghavad Gita, Descartes, Kant, Lagneau, her teacher Alain and Husserl.
Car le réel c’est l’obstacle, et l’obstacle d’un être pensant, c’est la contradiction. Le beau dans la mathématique réside dans la contradiction. L’incommensurabilité, logoi alogoi, a été la première splendeur du beau dans la mathématique. Le réel dans la perception, ce n’est pas l’effort (Maine de Biran) mais la contradiction éprouvée par le travail. (100) For the real is obstacle, and the obstacle to a thinking being is contradiction. The beautiful in mathematics resides in contradiction. Incommensurability, logoi alogoi, was the first beautiful splendor in mathematics. The real in perception is not effort (Maine de Biran) but the contradiction undergone by working.

Il y a un monde, c’est à dire une matière que le travail seul peut changer, et que, l’esprit excepté, il n’y a rien d’autre (130)

There is a world, that is to say matter that only work can change, and, excepting spirit, there is nothing else
Les travailleurs savent tout, mais hors du travail ils ne savent pas qu’ils ont possédé toute la sagesse (130) Workers know everything, but outside of work they don't know that they have possessed all wisdom
And, as Florence de Lussy writes, Weil will keep her whole life "her faith in the exercise of reason". (101) and she will develop her notion of esclavage (slavery) which is the specific form of malheur (affliction) in factories. (132)
^ Back to the top