On God: Thinking with Simone Weil

“Sobre Dios: Pensar con Simone Weil” is a compact but powerful essay by Byung-Chul Han, published in 2025 by Paidós. In just 144 pages, Han engages in a deep, contemplative dialogue with the thought of philosopher and mystic Simone Weil. Through this dialogue, he reflects on the spiritual crisis of modern life and proposes an approach to rediscover meaning in a world dominated by performance, consumption and constant noise. 

The book walks through seven central dimensions of Weil’s thought — attention, decreation, emptiness, silence, beauty, suffering and inactivity — and contrasts them with the contemporary maladies of digital overload, individualism, loss of purpose and spiritual exhaustion. 

Han’s writing carries an intimate, serene tone: he does not merely reinterpret Weil’s ideas, but invites the reader to a radical reorientation of life. It is not a call to naivety, but to conscious reflection: to embrace emptiness, to find beauty beyond utility, to reclaim silence as a space of presence, and to accept suffering not as a failure but as a gateway to depth. In an era of hyperactivity and relentless efficiency, this essay offers an ethical and spiritual compass — not offering easy comfort, but encouraging a transformation of perception. For readers interested in philosophy, spirituality, existential questions or simply a quieter, more meaningful way of living — this book is a thoughtful, penetrating invitation.