Simone Weil’s Attention as a Form of Prayer In her essay, “Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God,” Simone Weil makes the case that, ultimately, studying is not about good grades and high test scores. She says, “the development of the faculty of attention forms the real object and almost the sole interest of studies” (p. 57). The goal of completing a mathematics test or writing a research paper, Weil suggests, is not a mark of distinction, nor is it even to solve a problem. Rather, the goal of studying at all is coaxing the powers and the achievement of attention. Throughout the essay, Weil keeps near to this idea that “attention,” taken to its highest form, is virtually the same as prayer. For the rest of the semester, as we make our way through the course material—reading and researching what it means to be a college student—we will also take this to be our maxim: attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same as prayer.

For your first journal, I want you to pick one or two sentences from Weil’s essay, which intrigued, confused, or delighted you.

In one paragraph, explicate the main ideas of these sentences. Are there confusing words? What do they mean? Can you summarize the sentences in your own words?

In a second paragraph, define for yourself how you can use an activity like prayer for studying. This might involve your own definition of prayer as well as a description of what it means to you personally to give your attention wholly to any activity, regardless of the outcome.

Your journal should be at least one page long