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TheNeedsoftheSoul:SimoneWeilontheCrucialDifferenceBetweenOurRightsandOurObligationsBrainPickings
TheNeedoftheSoul:SimoneWeilonthe
CrucialDifferenceBetweenOurRightandOur
Obligation
Thenotionofobligationcomebeforethatofright,whichi
ubordinateandrelativetotheformer.Arightinoteffectualbitelf,
butonlinrelationtotheobligationtowhichitcorrepond.
YMARIAPOPOVA
IcontinuetoconidertheFrenchwriter,philoopher,and
politicalactivit,imoneWeil(Feruar3,1909Augut
24,1943)thecloetthingwehavetoamodernainta
womanothexemplarofextraordinarmoralcouragein
heractionandcapaleofarticulatingthatethoinword
ofluminouluciditandgrace.
In1942,juteforehewaadmittedintothehopital
wherehewoulddieoftuerculoiaearlater,33-earoldWeileganwritingTheNeedforRoot:Preludetoa
DeclarationofDutieTowardMankindagrippingthree-
partmanifetoreachingfortheeternallightofthehuman
piritfromthedepthofdarkneinthemidtofWWII.It
pothumoupulicationin1949galvanizedagenerationofthinkerandwriteraround
theworld,influencingthephiloophofluminarielikeartreandCamu,thelatter
proclaiminghertheonlgreatpiritofourtime.
Thefirtpart,titledTheNeedoftheoulandincludedintheindipenaleimoneWeil:
AnAntholog(puliclirar),examinethecrucialdifferenceetweenourrightandour
oligationinightallthetimeliertoda,awegrapplewithincreainglcomplex
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iueofocialreponiilitandhumanright.
Weilwrite:
Thenotionofoligationcomeeforethatofright,whichiuordinateand
relativetotheformer.Arightinoteffectualitelf,utonlinrelationtothe
oligationtowhichitcorrepond,theeffectiveexercieofarightpringingnot
fromtheindividualwhopoeeit,utfromothermenwhoconiderthemelve
aeingunderacertainoligationtowardhim.Recognitionofanoligationmake
iteffectual.Anoligationwhichgoeunrecognizedanodloenoneofthe
fullforceofitexitence.Arightwhichgoeunrecognizedanodinotworth
vermuch.
Itmakenonenetoathatmenhave,ontheonehand,right,andontheother
hand,oligation.uchwordonlexpredifferenceinpointofview.Theactual
relationhipetweenthetwoiaetweenojectanduject.Aman,conideredin
iolation,onlhadutie,amongtwhicharecertaindutietowardhimelf.Other
men,eenfromhipointofview,onlhaveright.He,inhiturn,haright,when
eenfromthepointofviewofothermen,whorecognizethatthehaveoligation
towardhim.Amanleftaloneintheuniverewouldhavenorightwhatever,uthe
wouldhaveoligation.
InaentimentthatcalltomindinteineautifullettertotheQueenofelgium,in
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whichhecontemplatedtheexitenceofomethingeternalthatlieeondthehandof
fateandofallhumandeluion,Weiladd:
Thenotionofright,eingofanojectiveorder,iineparalefromthenotionof
exitenceandrealit.[Theoligation]alwainvolvetoacertainextentthetaking
intoaccountofactualgiventateandparticularituation.Rightarealwafound
toerelatedtocertaincondition.Oligationaloneremainindependentof
condition.Theelongtoarealmituatedaoveallcondition,ecaueiti
ituatedaovethiworld.
[]
Therealmofwhatieternal,univeral,unconditionediotherthantheone
conditionedfact,anddifferentideaholdwathere,onewhicharerelatedto
themotecretreceeofthehumanoul.
Weilarguethatthihigher-orderuniveralit,whichtrancendthepecificof
ituation,iattheheartofthedifferenceetweenourrightandouroligation:
Allhumaneingareoundidenticaloligation,althoughtheeareperformed
indifferentwaaccordingtoparticularcircumtance.Nohumaneing,whoever
hemae,underwhatevercircumtance,canecapethemwithouteingguiltof
crime;avewheretherearetwogenuineoligationwhichareinfactincompatile,
andamaniforcedtoacrificeoneofthem.
Aproperdemocrac,Weilugget,minimizetheintanceinwhichweareforcedto
chooeetweenconflictingoligationand,indoingo,maximizeourright.hedelve
deeperintotheeenceofoligationaamechanimforconferringdignituponhuman
exitence:
Theojectofanoligation,intherealmofhumanaffair,ialwathehuman
eingauch.Thereexitanoligationtowardeverhumaneingfortheole
reaonthatheorheiahumaneing,withoutanotherconditionrequiringtoe
filled,andevenwithoutanrecognitionofucholigationonthepartofthe
individualconcerned.
ucholigation,Weilnote,intaeduponthefactualcircumtanceofaituation,nor
uponanconvention,forallconventionarelialetoemodifiedaccordingltothe
wiheofthecontractingpartie.Rather,itieternalandunconditional,aedupona
duttotheverhumanitofthehumaneingourolepoeionofeternit.Ina
ene,whatWeilidecriingithenotionoftheGoldenRule,foundinevermajor
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religioutraditionandevertrandofmoralphilooph.hewrite:
Thioligationhanofoundation,utonlaverificationinthecommonconent
accordedtheuniveralconcience.Itfindexpreioninomeoftheoldet
writtentextwhichhavecomedowntou.Itirecognizedeverodwithout
exceptionineveringlecaewhereitinotattackedaareultofinteretor
paion.Anditiinrelationtoitthatwemeaureourprogre.
Andethecautionthatincetheeternaldetinofthehumaneingintuceptileto
externalaction,itcanteamotiveofanoligationitelf.Intead,iterveaan
invitationtorecognizetheonlthingweoweoneanother:
Thefactthatahumaneingpoeeaneternaldetinimpoeonlone
oligation:repect.Theoligationionlperformediftherepectieffectivel
expreedinareal,notafictitiou,wa;andthicanonledonethroughthe
mediumofManearthlneed.
[]
Itianeternaloligationtowardthehumaneingnottolethimufferfrom
hungerwhenonehathechanceofcomingtohiaitance.Thioligationeing
themotoviouofall,itcanerveaamodelonwhichtodrawupthelitofeternal
dutietowardeachhumaneing.
ArtbLibethZwergerforapecialeditionoftheBrother
Grimmfairtale
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OutofthimodelWeilextractanumerofanalogouoligation,omepertainingtothe
needoftheod,uchahelter,hgiene,andprotectionfromviolence,andother
moreeluiveanddifficulttodicern,pertainingtotheneedoftheoul.Twodecade
afterRilkelamentedtheartificialdivideetweentheodandtheoul,Weilaertthat
othclaeofneedareequalleentialtoourflourihingandacenterpieceofwhat
makecommunitievaluale:
Oligation,whetherunconditionalorrelative,eternalorchanging,director
indirectwithregardtohumanaffair,alltem,withoutexception,fromthevital
needofthehumaneing.Thoewhichdonotdirectlconcernthi,thatorthe
otherpecifichumaneingallexittoerverequirementwhich,withrepectto
Man,plaaroleanalogoutofood.
[]
Weoweourrepecttoacollectivit,ofwhateverkindcountr,familoran
othernotforitelf,utecaueitifoodforacertainnumerofhumanoul.
utourneedforutenanceofodandoul,Weiladmonihe,arenottoemitaken
forourwant:
Thefirtthingtoeinvetigatediwhatarethoeneedwhichareforthelifeofthe
oulwhattheneedinthewaoffood,leepandwarmthareforthelifeofthe
odThemutnevereconfuedwithdeire,whim,fancieandvice.We
mutaloditinguihetweenwhatifundamentalandwhatifortuitou.Man
require,notriceorpotatoe,utfood;notwoodorcoal,utheating.Intheame
wa,fortheneedoftheoul,wemutrecognizethedifferent,utequivalent,ort
ofatifactionwhichcaterfortheamerequirement.Wemutaloditinguih
etweentheoulfoodandpoionwhich,foratime,cangivetheimpreionof
occupingtheplaceoftheformer.
[]
Thefirtcharacteriticwhichditinguiheneedfromdeire,fancieorvice,and
foodfromgluttonourepatorpoion,ithatneedarelimited,inexactlthe
amewaaarethefoodcorrepondingtothem.Amierneverhaenoughgold,
utthetimecomewhenanmanprovidedwithanunlimitedupplofreadfind
hehahadenough.Foodringatiet.Theameapplietotheoulfood.
Theecondcharacteritic,cloelconnectedwiththefirt,ithatneedarearranged
inantitheticalpairandhavetocominetogethertoformaalance.Manrequire
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food,utaloanintervaletweenhimeal;herequirewarmthandcoolne,ret
andexercie.Likewieinthecaeoftheoulneed.
Whaticalledthegoldenmeanactuallconitinatifingneithertheonenor
theotheroftwocontrarneed.Itiacaricatureofthegenuinelalancedtatein
whichcontrarneedareeachfullatifiedinturn.
Chiefamongtheeelementalneed,Weilargue,iorder.InaentimentwhichUmerto
cowouldcometoechomandecadelaterinaertingthatthechiefgoalofculturei
tomakeinfinitcomprehenile,Weilwrite:
Thefirtoftheoulneed,theonewhichtouchemotnearliteternaldetin,i
order;thatitoa,atextureofocialrelationhipuchthatnooneicompelledto
violateimperativeoligationinordertocarroutotherone.
ArtbUruWehrlifromTheArtofCleanup
Weillooktotheatoundingorderandinterconnectedneoftheuniverefor
confirmation:
Wehaveeverdaeforeutheexampleofaunivereinwhichaninfinitenumer
ofindependentmechanicalactionconcuroatoproduceanorderthat,inthe
midtofvariation,remainfixed.Furthermore,welovetheeautoftheworld,
ecaueweeneehinditthepreenceofomethingakintothatwidomwe
houldliketopoetolakeourthirtforgood.
[]
Aconciouneofthevariouoligationalwaproceedfromadeireforgood
whichiunique,unchangingandidenticalwithitelfforeverman,fromthecradle
tothegrave.
choingmeronideaofeaut,Weilarguethattheoullongingfororderaa
conduittothegoodialowhgreatworkofartenchantuanduglactofviolence
repelu:
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Thecontemplationofveritaleworkofart,andmuchmoretillthatoftheeaut
oftheworld,andagainmuchmorethatoftheunrealizedgoodtowhichweapire,
canutainuinourefforttothinkcontinuallaoutthathumanorderwhich
houldetheujectuppermotinourmind.
Thegreatintigatorofviolencehaveencouragedthemelvewiththethoughtof
howlind,mechanicalforceiovereignthroughoutthewholeunivere.
lookingattheworldwithkeenerenethantheir,wehallfindamore
powerfulencouragementinthethoughtofhowtheeinnumeralelindforceare
limited,madetoalanceoneagainttheother,roughttoformaunitedwhole
omethingwhichwedonotundertand,utwhichwecalleaut.
IntheremainderoftheimmeauralinightfulTheNeedforRoot,Weilgoeonto
examinehowtheothereentialneedofthehumanoulincludingpoitiveonelike
liert,equalit,andfreedomofopinion,andparadoxicalonelikerikandpunihment
conpireinhapingourrightandouroligation.
FormoreofWeilaidinggeniu,eeherwidomoncienceandourpiritualvalue,
howtomakeueofouruffering,attentionathegreatetformofgeneroit,howto
attainthemotfertileformofthought,andhowtoeacompletehumaneing.
PulihedFeruar3,2016
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www.brainpicking.org
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