Fire Alarm
Reading Walter Benjamin's "On the Concept of History"
Published on 11. October 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-1-78478-641-0 (ISBN)
Description
Revolutionary critic of the philosophy of progress, nostalgic of the past yet dreaming of the future, romantic partisan of materialism - Walter Benjamin is in every sense of the word an "unclassifiable" philosopher. His essay "On the Concept of History" was written in a state of urgency, as he attempted to escape the Gestapo in 1940, before finally committing suicide.
In this scrupulous, clear and fascinating examination of this essay, Michael Loewy argues that it remains one of the most important philosophical and political writings of the twentieth century. Looking in detail at Benjamin's celebrated but often mysterious text, and restoring the philosophical, theological and political context, Loewy highlights the complex relationship between redemption and revolution in Benjamin's philosophy of history.
In this scrupulous, clear and fascinating examination of this essay, Michael Loewy argues that it remains one of the most important philosophical and political writings of the twentieth century. Looking in detail at Benjamin's celebrated but often mysterious text, and restoring the philosophical, theological and political context, Loewy highlights the complex relationship between redemption and revolution in Benjamin's philosophy of history.
Reviews / Votes
"Lowy's close reading.follows Benjamin's text thesis-by-thesis, bringing out the salient criticisms of orthodox Marxist discourse and highlighting the interruptions of this discourse, the interruption of the concept of time that is at tis foundation, through Benjamin's insertion of messianic time into the banality of progress" * Jewish Quarterly * Sensitive to Benjamin's profound anxiety and the tragic vision of the world, Loewy traces the unfurling of this 'revolutionary melancholia,' which is haunted by the recurrence of disasters ... It is unusual to explore the depths of a text in this manner, but it is true that we have here the text of an exceptional thinker. * Le Monde *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 208 mm
Width: 139 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
213 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78478-641-0 (9781784786410)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2016
Verso Books
€19.49
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
02/2006
Verso Books
€41.03
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Michael Loewy isResearch Director of Sociology at the Centre National de la RechercheScientifique, Paris. His previous books include Redemption and Utopia: Liberation Judaism in Central Europe, Marxism in Latin America and The War of the Gods: Religion and Politics in Latin America.