The Disenchantment of Art: The Philosophy of Walter Benjamin [Hardcover]

Rainer Rochlitz (Author), Jane Marie Todd (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0898624088 | ISBN-13: 978-0898624083 | Publication Date: April 12, 1995

Fifty years after his death, Walter Benjamin remains one of the great cultural critics of this century. Despite his renown, however, Benjamin's philosophical ideas remain elusive/m-/often considered a disaggregated set of thoughts not meant to cohere. This book provides a more systematic perspective on Benjamin, laying claim to his status as a philosopher and situating his work in the context of its time. Exploring Benjamin's theory of language, spoken and nonspoken, Rainer Rochlitz shows how Benjamin reconceptualized traditional ideas of language, art, and history. Offering an expansive assessment of a unique twentieth-century thinker, this volume provides an indispensable guide for readers of Benjamin's recently released collected works.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his own lifetime, Benjamin (1892-1940) was recognized by his European colleagues primarily as a respected writer whose subject matter addressed critical literary and aesthetic issues. Although half a dozen of his works are currently in print in English, Rochlitz's study is unique in taking Benjamin's oeuvre as its critical subject. Rochlitz does not combine biography with his gloss on the development of Benjamin's thought and work, and because Benjamin himself was such a clear and engaging writer, all but scholars will want to turn to the primary source here first. Rochlitz's schema of presenting Benjamin's thought within its milieu is useful for those concerned about studying the time as well as the man. Recommended for academic collections.?Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A remarkably lucid presentation of the major strands of Benjamin's thought - religious, linguistic, aesthetic, literary, political, and historical. Rochlitz' study respects the complexities of one of the most influential and innovative thinkers of our time, without ever succumbing either to hagiography or to polemics. The result is the most comprehensive introduction to Benjamin's philosphy yet available in English." --Samuel Weber, UCLA Paris Program in Critical Theory

"In a field crowded with interpretations, Rainer Rochlitz's comprehensive study of Walter Benjamin stands out for its clarity and critical distance. Avoiding both hagiography and the impulse to create a totalizing system out of Benjamin's eclectic thought, Rochlitz shows how Benjamin's philosophy of language stands at the heart of his theories of aesthetics and history. American students of Benjamin will be grateful to have this rich study available in English." --David Biale, author of Gershom Scholem

"In this impressive book, Rainer Rochlitz presents a rigorous, systematic, and rewarding analysis of Walter Benjamin's influential philosophy. Combining sympathetic exegesis with demanding philosophical critique, Rochlitz reveals the conceptual underpinnings and basic guiding threads of Benjamin's engaging yet often bafflingly complex and enigmatic thought. From philosophy of language to aesthetic and literary theory and finally to philosophy of history, politics, and ethics, Rochlitz succeeds not only in critically clarifying Benjamin's views and their development, but in demonstrating their continued relevance. A fine study." --Richard Shusterman, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Temple University

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 298 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press (April 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898624088
• ISBN-13: 978-0898624083
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,046,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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