20TH CENTURY JEWISH THINKING – SIMONE WEIL

Simone Weil (1909–1943) was a fascinating figure who lived a chaotic and eventful — although tragically short — life. She was a prolific philosopher and essayist who published many texts on a wide range of topics and philosophical ideas.

Weil was a particularly complex person: she was born into a Jewish family with both Orthodox and agnostic backgrounds. Her thinking was deeply influenced by both Judaism and Catholic mysticism, and she was also accused by other prominent Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers of antisemitism. She was a self-proclaimed socialist and anarchist, as well as a pacifist who suffered from ill health throughout her life. Nevertheless, Weil volunteered in the Spanish Civil War, attempted to undertake suicide missions, and joined a unit that carried out sabotage and deep strikes against fascist forces.

Weil was not highly regarded as a thinker during her lifetime but quickly gained recognition and a devoted following in the years after her death.

In this course, we will explore Weil’s life and multifaceted thought, touching on areas such as feminism, politics and society, science, and education. She offers us a unique opportunity to engage with anarchism as both a school of thought and a political movement.

Course structure

The course is mainly lecture based.

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course. 

About the teacher

Lior Becker, PhD, is a modern historian, teacher, and interdisciplinary scholar. His areas of expertise are Holocaust history, historiography and memory, 19th and 20th-century intellectual history, genocide studies, and Eastern-European Jewish history and culture. He has long experience teaching teens and adults in both Sweden and Israel.

Photo: Wikipedia: All photographs of Simone Weil have been generously provided by Sylvie Weil.