Greek inspiration

Abstract Weil’s education in philosophy was, from early on, classical; therefore, the story of her thought begins with an examination of the influence of ancient Greek philosophy and literature on her thinking. Having learned Greek at a young age, Weil was inspired by ideas she found in the writings of Homer, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Plato, and others. Weil was no mere exegete of their writings. Indeed, she often made unorthodox interpretations that fitted with her eclectic influences and unique Christian outlook, such as her claim that Plato is a mystic. This chapter is centred on four important social, political, and ethical themes that emerged from her deep familiarity with and admiration for the ancient Greek tradition, namely: the nature of power and balance (or equilibrium); justice (in contradistinction to ‘rights’); the relation between contradiction and truth; and desire for the good. The omission of Aristotle from the group of Greek thinkers that were explicitly formative in Weil’s philosophical development is also addressed at the outset of the chapter. In many ways, this chapter serves as a brief introduction to Weil’s metaphysics, which will be further elaborated in the remainder of the book.