LEPHT HAND The Thought and Life of Simone Weil with Kenny Novis
Sep 10, 2024
Kenny Novis, a philosopher and Simone Weil expert, dives into the intricate life and thought of the radical thinker. He discusses Weil’s unique blend of political philosophy and spirituality, emphasizing her critiques of party politics and the quest for societal reform. The conversation touches on her disillusionment with ideologies during the rise of Hitler, her experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and the tension between individualism and collectivism. Novis also addresses the misunderstandings surrounding Weil's legacy, particularly by far-right groups.
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How Kenny Found Simone Weil
- Kenny first encountered Simone Weil as an undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh through a course by David Levy.
- He found Weil a useful gateway into many strands of continental thought and radical networks.
Contradiction As A Philosophical Method
- Weil often provokes admiration and disagreement because she is willfully contradictory and morally uncompromising.
- Her contradictions serve as a method: grappling with them deepens understanding.
Weil's Early Life And Education
- Simone Weil was born in 1909 into a secular Parisian family with a mathematically brilliant brother, André Weil.
- She entered the École Normale Supérieure and finished top of her cohort, ahead of Simone de Beauvoir and above Jean-Paul Sartre.
