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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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