Benjamin
Lecture
To Read
We’re taking a step back to 1937, but this fits in well with what’s to come next in our semester.
Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” explores how technological advances, particularly in photography and film, have transformed the nature of art. He argues that mechanical reproduction strips art of its unique "aura"—the sense of authenticity and originality tied to its existence in a particular time and place. This shift democratizes art, making it more accessible, but also risks commodifying it and diminishing its cultural significance. Benjamin also examines the political implications of this transformation, noting how mass-produced art can be used for propaganda but also for revolutionary purposes.
Audio book
To Watch
To Write
- Technological Rationality and the Aura: In One-Dimensional Man, Marcuse critiques technological rationality for reducing human experience to quantifiable and manipulable terms. How does Benjamin’s concept of the “aura” align with or challenge Marcuse’s views on technological rationality? In what ways does the loss of aura reflect Marcuse’s concerns about the dehumanizing effects of technology?
- Art and Mass Culture: Marcuse argues that mass culture serves to pacify and control society by reinforcing the status quo. How does Benjamin’s analysis of mechanically reproduced art as a tool for both manipulation and potential resistance complicate Marcuse’s critique? Can mass-produced art, in Benjamin’s view, serve a liberating function, or does it ultimately succumb to the same forces of control that Marcuse describes?
- Commodification and Authenticity: Marcuse discusses how advanced industrial societies commodify all aspects of life, turning even human needs and desires into products. How does Benjamin’s discussion of the commodification of art through mechanical reproduction reflect or expand on Marcuse’s ideas? Is there a way to preserve the authenticity and critical potential of art in an age of mass production, according to Benjamin and Marcuse?
