In paragraph
18 of “Toward the Critique of Violence,” the terms life, living,
and violence,
and
the relations
among them, complicate
Walter Benjamin’s
justification
of divine
violence—
his text’s
main discovery.
This article
seeks to reconstruct
Benjamin’s
uses of life and living
in earlier
texts and to
consider
the potential
influence
of various
authors
he was reading
at the time (Heinrich Rickert, Erich
Unger, Kurt Hiller, Gershom Scholem). Benjamin’s
distinction
between
life and living
is crucial
for his critique
of pacifism
and for his shift in perspective:
he moves the focus
from the victim
to the one committing
murder,
but whose violent
act just might bring justice.
Keywords:
Walter Benjamin / critique of violence / pacifism
Source:
Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory, 2019, 2, 2, 320-329
Publisher:
International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs : Duke University Press
TY - JOUR
AU - Bojanić, Petar
PY - 2019
UR - http://rifdt.instifdt.bg.ac.rs/123456789/2043
AB - In paragraph
18 of “Toward the Critique of Violence,” the terms life, living,
and violence,
and
the relations
among them, complicate
Walter Benjamin’s
justification
of divine
violence—
his text’s
main discovery.
This article
seeks to reconstruct
Benjamin’s
uses of life and living
in earlier
texts and to
consider
the potential
influence
of various
authors
he was reading
at the time (Heinrich Rickert, Erich
Unger, Kurt Hiller, Gershom Scholem). Benjamin’s
distinction
between
life and living
is crucial
for his critique
of pacifism
and for his shift in perspective:
he moves the focus
from the victim
to the one committing
murder,
but whose violent
act just might bring justice.
PB - International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs : Duke University Press
T2 - Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory
T1 - “Leben und Gewalt” or “Gewalt und Leben” A Commentary on Paragraph 18 of Walter Benjamin’s “Toward the Critique of Violence”
IS - 2
VL - 2
SP - 320
EP - 329
DO - 10.1215/26410478-7708379
ER -
@article{
author = "Bojanić, Petar",
year = "2019",
abstract = "In paragraph
18 of “Toward the Critique of Violence,” the terms life, living,
and violence,
and
the relations
among them, complicate
Walter Benjamin’s
justification
of divine
violence—
his text’s
main discovery.
This article
seeks to reconstruct
Benjamin’s
uses of life and living
in earlier
texts and to
consider
the potential
influence
of various
authors
he was reading
at the time (Heinrich Rickert, Erich
Unger, Kurt Hiller, Gershom Scholem). Benjamin’s
distinction
between
life and living
is crucial
for his critique
of pacifism
and for his shift in perspective:
he moves the focus
from the victim
to the one committing
murder,
but whose violent
act just might bring justice.",
publisher = "International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs : Duke University Press",
journal = "Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory",
title = "“Leben und Gewalt” or “Gewalt und Leben” A Commentary on Paragraph 18 of Walter Benjamin’s “Toward the Critique of Violence”",
number = "2",
volume = "2",
pages = "320-329",
doi = "10.1215/26410478-7708379"
}
Bojanić, P.. (2019). “Leben und Gewalt” or “Gewalt und Leben” A Commentary on Paragraph 18 of Walter Benjamin’s “Toward the Critique of Violence”. in Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory
International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs : Duke University Press., 2(2), 320-329.
https://doi.org/10.1215/26410478-7708379
Bojanić P. “Leben und Gewalt” or “Gewalt und Leben” A Commentary on Paragraph 18 of Walter Benjamin’s “Toward the Critique of Violence”. in Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory. 2019;2(2):320-329.
doi:10.1215/26410478-7708379 .
Bojanić, Petar, "“Leben und Gewalt” or “Gewalt und Leben” A Commentary on Paragraph 18 of Walter Benjamin’s “Toward the Critique of Violence”" in Critical Times: Interventions in Global Critical Theory, 2, no. 2 (2019):320-329,
https://doi.org/10.1215/26410478-7708379 . .
