WalterBenjamin

WalterBenjamin(1892-1940)wasoneofthemostintriguingandoriginalMarxistculturaltheoristsofthetwentieth-century.HemadeaprecariouslivinginBerlinasaliteraryjournalistand，partlyundertheinfluenceofErnstBlochandLukacs，turnedtowardtheCriticalTheoryoftheFrankfurtSchool.Inthelate1920’s，hebecameaclosefriendofBrecht，championinghisrevolutionary"epictheater".DrivenfromGermanyin1933bytheriseofNazism，BenjaminsettledinPariswherehehadcloseassociationswiththesurrealists.WhentheNazisinvadedFrance，BenjaminfledtotheSpanishfrontierwhereonbeingdeniedentry，hecommittedsuicideratherthanriskbeingdeliveredtotheSS.Benjamin’swritingsareacuriousmixtureofesoteric，sometimesmysticalJewishthought，artisticmodernism，andunorthodoxMarxism.Heunitedanapocalypticvisionofhistorywithaconcernforthematerial，productivebasisofart.Fascinatedbytradition，yetaradicalspokesmanforthenewtechnologicalmedia，steepedinhighGermanphilosophy，butachampionoftheproletariat，Benjaminwasinturnphilologist，literarycritic，politicalcommentator，andphilosopherofhistory.BolzandvanReijenproceedfromthestandpointthatBenjamin’sthoughtwasshapedbyhisattempttoconnectextremes—tomakethetheologicalideaofsalvationfruitfulforpoliticalthought.Then，theygoontostructureBenjamin’simportantclustersofthemesinlightoftheradicalconsequencesofthisintention.