American Weil Society

CALL FOR PAPERS 2024 COLLOQUY 

American Weil Society
April 26th-27th, 2024

Université de Montréal (Canada)
 

The Politics and Ethics of Labour

Simone Weil’s posthumous La condition ouvrière has now been in circulation for over 70 years, and the texts of which it is composed are yet older still. And while this book might not be widely read in the anglophone world, Weil’s most-read works, such as The Need for Roots or Gravity and Grace, also offer extended reflections on labour. But despite Weil’s thorough and subtle critiques of Marxism, her moving plea to make of labour the spiritual core of modern society, her engaged participation in factory life, and an enthusiastic reception by thinkers like Hannah Arendt, she is not always considered amongst the canon of post-Marxist labour theorists. This Colloquy will seek contributions that can help to establish (or question) Weil’s importance as a theorist of labour. We hope to collectively explore Weil’s continued importance in our post-industrial, neoliberal economy.

Some questions might include: Is there just one Weil on labour, or does her oeuvre contain multiple different theories? Was her stint as a factory worker an offensive coopting of working-class experience, or the condition of possibility for a subtle and engaged theory? If Weil rejects revolution, what is the right form of worker politics? And in what ways does and can labour affect, degrade, or uplift our spiritual or ethical life?

We are especially interested in papers that can speak to one or more of the following themes (though this list is not exhaustive, and other themes will happily be considered):
 

• The composition, editing, and reception of La condition ouvrière
• Weil’s critique of Marx
• The reception of Weil in post-Marxist thought
• The development of Weil’s concept of labour
• The factory and (post-)industrial labour
• Labour as spiritual exercise
• Labour, attention, and self-fulfillment
• The ideal organization of work
• Revolution and social change
• Taylor and rationalization
• Weil’s “factory year”
• Translating Weil on labour

Please submit anonymous abstracts of 250-500 words and a separate short bio by January 26th, 2024 to AWScolloquy@gmail.com

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Annual Colloquy

The American Weil Society organizes an annual colloquy, which has been meeting annually since 1981.  This two-day colloquy, usually held the last weekend in April, is dedicated to the presentation of papers and discussion, and usually centers around a set theme or text, although all timely papers are welcome.  The site for the meeting varies, and has included in the past, Princeton, Cambridge, Toronto, Santa Fe, Providence, San Francisco, Barcelona, Ottawa and Los Angeles.  

Past Colloquy

To view a list of papers presented at past American Weil Society Colloquy, please click on the appropriate link below.

 Colloquy XLI (2022):          'Translations of Beauty: Simone Weil and                                                              Literature' 

                                              (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy XL (2021):            'Weil on Spirituality, Beauty and Justice'

                                               (Boston College)

 Colloquy XL (2020):            CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

 Colloquy XXXIX (2019):    'Rootedness, Identity and Nation'

                                              (Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona)

 Colloquy XXXVIII (2018):  'Simone Weil: Beyond Ideology?'

                                               (University of Ottawa)

 Colloquy XXXVII (2017):    'Simone Weil: Grace, Truth, and Justice'

                                                (Villanova University)

 Colloquy XXXVI (2016):     'Hope in Exile'

                                               (New Orleans, LA)

 Colloquy XXXV (2015):     'Religion and Rootedness'

                                                (Lesley University)

 Colloquy XXXIV (2014):     'Simone Weil: Between Antiquity and

                                               Modernity'

                                               (University of Ottawa)

 Colloquy XXXIII (2013):     'Simone Weil and the Question of

                                               Authority'

                                               (Providence College)

 Colloquy XXXII (2012):      'Simone Weil: The Drama of Grace in the

                                               Gravity of Contemporary Society'

                                               (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy XXXI (2011):       'Simone Weil and the Political'

                                        (Pacific School of Religion)

 Colloquy XXX (2010):        ‘Simone Weil: Texts and Contexts’

                                               (Boston College)

 Colloquy XXIX (2009):        ‘Simone Weil: Are We Ready Yet?’

                                                 (Southern Illinois University)

 Colloquy XXVIII (2008):     ‘The Nature of Grace & the Grace of

                                                Nature’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XXVII (2007):       ‘Simone Weil and the Concept of Love’

                                                 (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XXVI (2006):         ‘Simone Weil and Mysticism’

                                                 (Providence College)

 Colloquy XXV (2005):        ‘Simone Weil and Colonialism’

                                                (University of San Diego)

 Colloquy XXIV (2004):       ‘The Issues of  “The Iliad: Poem of Force”’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy XXIII (2003):       ‘After Classical Science: Simone Weil’s

                                                Philosophy of Nature’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy XXII (2002):         ‘Simone Weil and the O/other’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XXI (2001):           ‘The Christian Platonism of Simone Weil’

                                                (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy XX (2000):            ‘The 20^th Annual Colloquy of the

                                               American Weil Society’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XIX (1999):           ‘The Nature of Learning’

                                                (Meadville Lombard Theological School)

 Colloquy XVIII (1998):        ‘Spirituality: East and West’

                                                (University of San Diego)

 Colloquy XVII (1997):          ‘Justice and Civil Society’

                                                (The College of Wooster)

 Colloquy XVI (1996):            ‘Simone Weil and Politics’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy XV (1995):            ‘The Concept of Beauty’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy XIV (1994):           ‘Nature and Culture’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XIII (1993):           ‘L’Enracinement/The Need for Roots’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XII (1992):            ‘Simone Weil and the Concept of the

                                                Person’

                                                (Mount St. Mary’s College)

 Colloquy XI (1991):             ‘Simone Weil’s Philosophy of Culture’

                                                (The College of Wooster)

 Colloquy X (1990):             ‘Simone Weil and the Problem of Meaning

                                               and Interpretation’

                                               (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy IX (1989):             ‘Simone Weil and Education’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

Colloquy VIII (1988):           ‘Simone Weil: God and Soul’

                                                (Harvard University)

 Colloquy VII (1987):            ‘Simone Weil and the World of Religions’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy VI (1986):             ‘Simone Weil: Spirit and Culture’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy V (1985):             ‘Simone Weil and Culture’

                                                (Emory University)

 Colloquy IV (1984):             ‘Simone Weil and Spirituality’

                                                (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy III (1983):             ‘Simone Weil and Social Relations’

                                                (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy II (1982):              'Simone Weil and Language'

                                                (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy I (1981):               '1st Annual American Weil Society

                                              Colloquy'

                                              (Princeton Theological Seminary)