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Marxism and Modernism: An Historical Study of Lukács, Brecht, Benjamin, and Adorno

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A nice idea this. Take two pairs of Marxists, starting with a committed Soviet apologist (Lukac), moving across the spectrum toward a much less doctrinaire reading of Marx by dramatist Brecht. Then, compare and contrast the philosopher/mystic Benjamin who uses Marx as a way to think about the meaning of culture and technology, through to Adorno, the elitist who uses Marxism as a way to criticize consumerism as a manifestion of capitalist, and therefore, degraded, economic policies.

The discussion of Benjamin and Adorno is worth the price of admission here. The elitist aesthete Adorno's initial captivation with Benjamin's early Arcade Project notes, his later disaffection with Benjamin's positive reception of some elements of mass culture is clearly told.

Still, the prose can be somewhat daunting and dense. It takes some effort but the rewards are there for anyone interested in culture and politics in Germany between the wars. Of course, the influence of these thinkers extends well beyond this period, especially Adorno and Benjamin who were rediscovered by Marxists in the 60s. Benjamin, the more elliptical and mystical of the two,never fit neatly into the Marxist mold. Of the four, he remains the most interesting and least doctrinaire.