Walter Benjamin’s "Theses on the Philosophy of History"

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

Walter Benjamin’s "Theses on the Philosophy of History"

 ( I will be discussion the Fourth Thesis)

 

 

“The fourth thesis suggests some of the the things which may be lost: courage, humor, cunning, and fortitude i.e. the qualities displayed by the oppressed classes in their struggle against oppression. These qualities develop under conditions of adversity and is important not to lose sight of how they important they are or forget the people who have shown them.”

-          What I believe Walter Benjamin is saying in this thesis is when one goes through hard times in life; one may lost their character traits that makes them human in their times of struggles. But if one can over comes the many hardships of life and remember not lose sight of who they are and the importance of the people in their life; and manage their character traits (courage, humor, cunning, and fortitude). Than one will remain human and regain hope against oppression.

 

 

1)      How do history and nihilism relate? How do people use history as a way to overcome nihilism?

 

-History and nihilism relates because both have deal with pain, tension, disloyalty, destroying others in order to move up in society and to show growth over the years. People use history to overcome nihilism, because history has showed us that with the will to want change from pain and destroying; we as a people can gain power and fight over oppression and overcome many struggles.

 

Benjamin

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

 

 

            “Even if one has a general knowledge of the way people walk, one knows nothing of a person's posture during the fractional second of a stride. The act of reaching for a lighter or a spoon is a familiar routine, yet we hardly know what really goes on between hand and metal, not to mention how this fluctuates with our moods. Here the camera intervenes with the resources of its lowerings and liftings, its interruptions and isolations, its extensions and accelerations, its enlargements and reductions. The camera introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses (p. 237).”

 

-What I believe this quote is saying is that when a picture or a movie is taking place, the camera only shows what is happing. The camera does not show or explained how these actions are happening or how the person feels during these actions.

 

Please also complete the following questions:

1.      Why does Benjamin argue for the similar effects of Dadaism and Chaplin films?

Benjamin argues for similar effects because pain is an emotion everyone has or will experience in their life and it give them the ability to relate to his work.

2.      Explain some of the positive and negative effects of the destruction of the "aura" in art.

The negative effects are, it gives the artists less freedom to express their self and the positive effects is it more acceptable in society.  

3.      How would you judge or evaluate the impact of mass culture in contemporary life today?

Mass culture in contemporary life today I believe is more worry  about what others think compare to the times of Benjamin were people were will to risk their life just so their voice would be heard.

Ernst Jünger and "pain"

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

 

            The passage I will be discussing today is the following:

-“Pain’s disregard for our system of values greatly increases its hold on life...Our children’s tales close with passages about heroes who, after having overcome many dangers, live out their lives in peace and happiness. We hear such assurances with pleasure, for it is comforting for us to learn about a place removed from pain. Yet, in truth, life is without any such satisfying end... (p.4).”

--What I believe this quote is saying that society shows us through media and lectures that in life there is always a happy ending; even to those who had hardship. But in real life; this is not the truth. For some there will not be a happy ending; just pain. I choose this passage because to me it’s the truth. Many people will never get the change to live without pain; to live with happiness and peace. There are many people who don’t know what it feels like to live without the dangers of others or their environment.

 

***Please also answer the following questions.

 

 

1. Is pain the most important experience in life?  I’m not sure if it the most important, but I do believe it’s the most strongest of experiences we have in life and the one when can learn from the best.

2. What does "post-liberal" mean? I believe "post-liberal" means that we as humans are entering another phase in our lives and that is leaving “liberalism”.

3. How does obedience to the state protect the person from pain? Obedience to the state can protect a person from pain by helping them fit the norm of that place or time. With fitting the norm one fits in and this stop others from picking or looking at them. When this happens it makes people feel that they are all the same and should be treated the same. This is a form of protect because the person is less likely to harm them.

Germany's Parties and Hitler final speech

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

 

            The three parties that I will be discussing today are: Communist Party, Nazi Party and the Social-democratic Party. All three of these parties have some similarities and differences. Let’s take a look of some the similarities first. The similarities will all three parties are they want the German people to have a better livelihood/jobs. The Nazi and Communist party want to get rid of other races in Germany and overthrow the Republic. The Nazi and the Communist party want to get rid of private property.

            The differences between the three parties are as followed. The Social-democratic Party supports the German Republic. People who have any disagreement are allowed to speak their minds; unlike the Communist and Nazi party. The Social-democratic Party wants to lower taxes and provide the German people with unemployment compensation for up to six months.

 

Hitler’s Final Speech

“The army that we are building grows from day to day, from hour to hour. Right at this moment I have the proud hope that once the hour strikes these wild troops will merge into battalions, battalions into regiments, regiments into divisions. I have hopes that the old cockade will be lifted from the dirt, that the old colors will be unfurled to flutter again, that expiation will come before the tribunal of God. Then from our bones and from our graves will speak the voice of the only tribunal which has the right to sit in justice over us.”

-          What I believe Hitler is saying in this quote is the idea that the stronger his beliefs become the more vast the fight becomes. The more people that become inspired by these beliefs the more likely all will rise up and form as one to carry out the objectives of what Hitler was trying to portray. The very idea that one group can rise up and take the place for which Hitler seen for his people gave that inspiration and he didn’t get specific because others might have separate opinions , but when u combine the idea of all standing together as one like the beginning of the quote has unity is the message that is being displayed.

Max Weber "Politics as a Vocation"

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

Max Weber “Politics as a Vocation”.

 

            Max Weber “Politics as a Vocation”, was the speech that many feel defind Weber as one of Germany’s great sociologist. The part of the speech “Politics as a Vocation” is will be discussing is as followed:

            “This is the decisive psychological quality of the politician: his ability to let realities work upon him with inner concentration and calmness. Hence his distance to things and men. ‘Lack of distance’ per se is one of the deadly sins of every politician. It is one of those qualities the breeding of which will condemn the progeny of our intellectuals to political incapacity. For the problem is simply how can warm passion and a cool sense of proportion be forged together in one and the same soul? Politics is made with the head, not with other parts of the body or soul. And yet devotion to politics, if it is not to be frivolous intellectual play but rather genuinely human conduct, can be born and nourished from passion alone.” (p. 115)

- To me the meaning of this quote is be an politician takes more than having people stand behind you and money; but to have distinct skills. These distinct skills is having the ability to be warm and compassion and having a connection with the people of the nation. This is something that not every politician has, nor can be taught; but what a leader is born with. Being able to combine this skills is what makes one a leader, a politician. I chose this quote because I believe why Mr. Obama was granted another four years in term. He has the distinct skills that prove he is a leader and politician.

 

 

Below is a list of “Weimar Political Parties” I will be summarizing them and explaining the groups the parties represented and if they were successful in their goal as a party.

-          Catholic Center Party (Zentrum, or, Z): The interest of this party was to protect the Germany’s Catholics. The Germany’s Catholics had a population of about 34%; making this party very successful.

 

-          Communist Party (KPD): This party was founded in the end of December 1918; in the midst of revolutionary chaos. (KPD) look for members of an more radical workers and a radical intellectuals, (KPD) fundamentally opposed to the existence of the Weimar Republic and had low employment rates; which made this party unsuccessful.

 

-          German Democratic Party (DDP): This party was largely made up of Protestant membership; which was drawn from the middle class. Most often from professional groups where made up of, liberal academics lawyers, and doctors. DDP supported the Weimar Republic and resistant to militarism and anti-Semitism. In the final days of this party DDP became partly successful.

 

-          German Nationalist People’s Party (DNVP): This party was generally white collar Protestant’s. It was militaristic and very resistant to republican government. This party was successful with the white collar workers.

 

 

-          German People’s Party (DVP): This party represented owners of small and middle-sized businesses and white collar workers, but wasn’t successful with the government.

-          National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP-Nazi): This party was founded in 1919, as the German Workers party. It began its move toward prominence when Hitler took over. The support for this party came from the lower middle class workers. The money that was raise for this party was being used to fund the Nazi Party. This party was successful.

-          Social Democratic Party (SPD): This party got its support from blue-collar trade union skilled workers and was not as successful as planned.                                   

Luxemburg

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

 

            The quote I will be discussing from Luxemburg is:         

“One thing is certain. The world war is a turning point. It is foolish and mad to imagine that we need only survive the war, like a rabbit waiting out the storm under a bush, in order to fall happily back into the old routine once it is over. The world war has altered the conditions of our struggle and, most of all, it has changed us. Not that the basic law of capitalist development, the life-and-death war between capital and labor, will experience any amelioration. But now, in the midst of the war, the masks are falling and the old familiar visages smirk at us. The tempo of development has received a mighty jolt from the eruption of the volcano of imperialism. The violence of the conflicts in the bosom of society, the enormousness of the tasks that tower up before the socialist proletariat – these make everything that has transpired in the history of the workers’ movement seem a pleasant idyll”.

 

-          In the beginning of this quote Luxemburg’s talks about how more has to be done for the society, other than just the war. More work has to be done other than the ideas brought forth (Germans) to war. Luxemburg‘s discussing how many people had different feelings about going into the war, seems to ask do you still believe in those same ideas after the war. The war was supposed to change things for the better especially for the working class; but it didn’t, so are the working classes going to just fall back into the same routines? Something must be done to survive the concepts of war because the problems that exist before the war stills exist after the war and in this instance the Germans losing the war had a doubling effect on these concepts because the proletariat class would have change imposed. Some of the concept could have been how are we going to come together as a people and move forward; to survive the down fall of losing the war. Also Luxemburg’s seems to warn the people that the other side that won may try to promote a social change. So we as a people have to stay strong and stand together through the struggles that may arise during this time. Luxemburg wants the proletariat people to understand that the lessons shown from previous conflicts have to be acknowledged so real change could occur and possibly a different course of action realized by the people.

 

M

Shameka Clark

LEH 300

 

            In the article “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep: A Brief History of Child Murder in Cinema”, Chris Eggertser the author discusses serial movies. In each movies he discusses there is a common thread between them. That thread is child murder in cinema. Eggertser presents an argument for why the films have success or lack’s success. What I believe Eggertser is trying to say in his article is films such as “M” and “The Believers” is much more than a scary film such as “A Nightmare on Elm Street” because they used the child murders as a viewpoint to show a broader view of the society. In the film “M” this was done by showing the different parts of the society such as the children, weeping mother, police, beggars, criminals, the poor, and the streets (community)where the story took place. Where as a film like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is about killing, blood and guts. Films such as “The Lovely Bones” and “The Believers” are similar to “M” because it a base on a real concept of life and is about showing how the murders of the child/ren affected the people in the society. Films such as “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is the opposite, it uses the child murder as a base for the story, but don’t follow up on it. But instead use that base as a means to kill in a scary way with lots of blood involve.