Waiting on God: Simone Weil on Attention, Affliction, and Grace
The radical mystic-philosopher who taught that pure attention is love itself. Discover “decreation,” affliction, and the art of rooting oneself by emptying the self.
Steps
- 1
- Reading· ~11 min
Affliction, the Void, and Decreation
Weil's most harrowing insight: that the most profound suffering strips the self bare, and that this stripping, consented to, can become a doorway.
Complete the previous step first
- Reading· ~9 min
Gravity, Grace, and the Absent God
Weil's theological ontology, and why her mysticism is important even for secular readers.
Complete the previous step first
- Text Explore· ~8 min
Attention and Affliction
Read Weil's key passages on attention, gravity, decreation, and the void.
Complete the previous step first
- Argument Map· ~10 min
The Ethics of Attention
Map Weil's philosophical architecture from attention through affliction to grace.
Complete the previous step first
- Dialogue· ~10 min
Dialogue with Weil
Challenge Weil's claim that affliction can be a doorway rather than simply a catastrophe.
Complete the previous step first
- Reflection· ~8 min
Reflection: Where Your Attention Goes
Reflect on the quality of your own attention, and what it costs to truly attend.
Complete the previous step first
Complete the Reflection step in this path to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments.