Perception, Self, and Zen: On Iris Murdoch and the Taming of Simone Weil

How do we see the world aright? This question is central to Iris Murdoch’s philosophy as well that of her great source inspiration, Simone Weil. For both them, not only our action, but very quality being depends on ability things they are, where vision a metaphor for immediate understanding and literal expression requirement train perception so get rid illusions. both, too, method achieve this goal attention. finally, attention requires dethronement self, considered illusion. In paper I investigate what moral means each these philosophers how it operates through its relationship with self. will show that, despite many striking similarities, project does equal ‘Weil minus God’, offers different concept removal, therefore picture perception. evaluating views, gesture towards third way represented by Zen Buddhism, which variously consider embrace.