A dialogue on attention. Reflections on the concept of attention in Simone Weil and Francesca Gargallo

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate and assess the hypothesis of certain points of convergence between the thought of Francesca Gargallo and that of the French philosopher Simone Weil. The proposed parallel between these two figures—who differ in many respects, not least because of the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which they lived and developed their ideas, works, and lives—is grounded in the centrality of the concept of attention as a way of conceiving relationships, of engaging with the world in a dynamic and committed manner, and of aligning an understanding of reality with coherent action and a profound capacity for self-giving. In particular, the ethical, political, philosophical, narrative, and poetic framework of Francesca Gargallo's thought will be examined through her lyrical novel La costra de la tierra (Heredad, 2024), which serves as a case study in which the thinker and writer brings together themes of particular urgency for human survival. Through a form of political attention understood as tension and commitment, Gargallo seeks collective alternatives to the oppressive dynamics exercised by global power.