Reading this week's New York Review of Books I was struck by the fact Walter Benjamin was referred to numerous times in various articles.
The topics ranged from America's world status, to the writings of Karl Kraus in Vienna between the Wars, to Paul's Letter to the Romans.
Why?
Anyone who has read Benjamin, really read him, must agree he is close to incomprehensible. Arcades is an interesting jumble but that's what it is -- a jumble. Some of the journalism is focused but those pieces are just one off newspaper articles. None of Benjamin's big work is very focused (of course, in fairness, Heidegger is even worse -- what on earth is the deal with Being and Time???).
Benjamin's worldview is (somewhat) more sympatico than it was, say, 20 years ago -- G-d is more in style today than in the 80's.
But viewing the world from a modified Talmudic view cannot, standing alone, be enough to make an intellectual titan otherwise the NYR would be full of Rabbis or Jesuits.
Neither can it be Benjamin's story which, while tragic, was hardly heroic. (Thinking the Spanish were going to send him back to the Germans he killed himself. Perhaps that made sense -- the Nazis would have been specially cruel to Benjamin, and they were noted for cruelty -- but, of course, Benjamin was wrong and the Spanish had no intention of sending him away. So he died in vain).
I'd like to finish this entry with a good answer to why Benjamin is so 'hot' but have none to offer. Perhaps a reader does? Regardless, it is odd.
James Morton
1100 - 5255 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 6P4
1 comment:
Just wondering Morton?
In Toronto a man has been charged with 2 counts of murder after being out on bail for 2 sexual assaults.
The police chief Bill Blair has said on camera these deaths were preventable.
Does this not prove the liberal justice system in Canada is "DIRECTLY INVOLVED" in these 2 deaths?
Should a public inquiry be called?
Should this judge be FIRED?
What say you?
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