5/2 Walter Benjamin: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

                               

5/2 Walter Benjamin: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

 One might generalize by saying: the technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition. By making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence. And in permitting the reproduction to meet the beholder or listener in his own particular situation, it reactivates the object reproduced. These two processes lead to a tremendous shattering of tradition which is the obverse of the contemporary crisis and renewal of mankind. Both processes are intimately connected with the contemporary mass movements. Their most powerful agent is the film. Its social significance, particularly in its most positive form, is inconceivable without its destructive, cathartic aspect, that is, the liquidation of the traditional value of the cultural heritage (p. 221).

I chose this particular passage because the insight within it is very strong and accurate. What this passage explains is mechanical reproduction takes away from the originality of what was originally produced. The uniqueness of anything original is lost not only with substitutes but, with time. As used in this passage, mankind has become lost of values and morals watered down through this very mechanical reproduction. This is also why he states film to be the most powerful agent. Film captures the originality of what was happening at the time of what ever was being created. For example; when Martin Luther king was killed, or when they filmed Hitler's camp. Through these original truths are seen how watered down many if not all cultures have become. Almost to the point of it's destruction.  

Nihilism in Germany

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Nihilism in Germany

      


       "It's all a swindle"

Papa swindles

Mama Swindles

Grand mama's a lying thief

We're perfectly shameless

But we're blameless

after all it's our belief

Nowadays the world is rotten

honesty has been forgotten

Fall in love but after kissing

check your purse to see what's missing

Everyone swindles some

My son's a mooch and so's the pooch

"Alles Swindel"

Papa schwindelt

Mama schwindelt,

tut sie auf blob ihren mund!

tante otillie

und de famillie

und sogar der kleine Hund!

und besieht man's aus der Nahe:

Jedes band und jede Ehe

Jedes kub in dern Betriebe

und sogar die grobe Liebe!

undie ganze heut'ge zeit Ja,

sogar die Ehrilchkeit.


       "No Time


Nowadays, a person doesn't have a second to spare.

yet many even think the pace is too slow.


       "Keine Zeit


Man laesst sich weit und breit heut

nicht mehr sehunde zeit heut.

Es geht im Gegenteil uns noch zu Langsam fast.



                                                               "My Interpretation of Both Songs"


     As for "It's all a swindle", I chose the first verse of the lyric's because it explains the life of the

people in that county at that time. It is apparent that everyone swindles to get by, to survive. Not only

is it the way of life there but, it seems to have been taught through generations as a means of survival.

Even grandmamma is a lying thief. This is also an example of what they chosen of what the

government has given them.


     As for "No Time", I chose this particular verse because no one has a second to spare and, they are

always in what I call the hurry up and wait mode. Therefore morals, values of people have been

reduced to practically nothing. People don't even have time for family anymore.



                                                                              "Paragraph 175"


    This paragraph I thought relates to this lecture with the remembrance of morals and values in mind.

This lecture talks about the two along with it's changing with time. This change has affected the two

and, that is why paragraph 175 has been modified. Just as today where now same sex marriage is

legal. I will use the blue angel's professor as an example; He was a man of professed morals in a

changing society. Lola was basically down for whatever and, he allowed her to take him where he

 to a point in his life where he could not have imagined ever being.
  
     He had lost what ever morals he had and his values by the mere clucking like a chicken at his

wedding dinner for the acceptance of those around him. As time went on laws like paragraph 175

were conformed to accommodate what was forbidden pleasures in the professor's time.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

4/25 On Pain

                                                                4/25 On Pain




The human will disciplines and outfits this flesh with such painstaking care that it now seems more indifferent to injury. Today, we again are able to bear the sight of death with greater indifference, since we no longer feel at home in our body as we did before. It no longer accords with our style to stop a flying show or a car race simply because of a deadly accident. Such accidents lie not outside but inside the zone of a new kind of security (p. 43).

I chose this passage because of it's reality. The reality of this passage has not just become but, has been around for centuries. It reminds me of that music group the Monkey's. They say "One monkey don't stop the show". That is the way of the world now more than it has ever been. Many lives are lost due to many, many, different reasons. There may have been a time when someone died through a horrific tragedy of some sort, that people may have stopped even if it was for a hour to deal with emotional pain. Nowadays death has become as if someone has dropped the ice cream off the cone. When that happens people will look for a minute and say wow and, keep on going on with what ever routine they were in. This non caring attitude for human life has become the shield to another humans emotions. No one cares until it either hits them or someone close to them. There is no more care and concern for tragedy as in many days before now. This is that new security of every man for themselves era. 

Nazism

                                                                   Nazism



Major political cleavages in Germany today are drawn along the lines of: how is the Nazi regime to be interpreted within German history?  

The Nazi regime can be interpreted as a bad part of the history of Germany which created many wars, deaths not succumbed by war but, by the orders of Hitler. The Nazi regime can be interpreted as one of the many dark pitfalls of Germany's time. Hitler wanted to control and make Germany a country of pure bread Germans which, he tried to achieve at the cost of everything. This regime has played a major part of Germany's downfall. Which, I feel still affects that country to this present day.

The Weimar Republic

                 


                                                                The Weimar Republic


Article 84The Reich, by the means of legislation, establishes regulations for :
1. the establishment of state taxation management, inasmuch a uniform and equanimous application of Reich taxation laws require;
2. the establishment and authority of the administration branches responsible for the supervision of the execution of Reich taxation laws;
3. the clearing with the states;
4. compensation for the costs of administration caused by the execution of Reich taxation laws.

I chose this article because as I read this I remembered what these people went through and how much they had lost during this time. Taxation had to be controlled to help this country to bounce back or to have a crawling start at fixing their problems. So this was their start of recuperation.


Article 109All Germans are equal in front of the law.
In principle, men and women have the same rights and obligations.
Legal privileges or disadvantages based on birth or social standing are to be abolished.
Noble titles form part of the name only; noble titles may not be granted any more.
Titles may only be granted, if they indicate an office or occupation; academic degrees are not affected by this regulation.
The state may no more bestow orders and medals.
No German may accept titles or orders from a foreign government


I chose this article which was the becoming of  some sort of sincerity to the countries people. Even if  at times it may have seemed superficial and long overdue it was a start. Those who thought they had more control over the more unfortunate, now had to learn how to be treated as one with those very people on a level probably unfair to them. And those who felt the government had failed them now felt they had a chance at life without so many prejudices.

Max Weber : Politics as A Vocation

                                

                                                         Max Weber : Politics as A Vocation




      
My colleague, Mr. F. W. Förster, whom personally I highly esteem for his undoubted sincerity, but whom I reject unreservedly as a politician, believes it is possible to get around this difficulty by the simple thesis: ‘from good comes only good; but from evil only evil follows.’ In that case this whole complex of questions would not exist. But it is rather astonishing that such a thesis could come to light two thousand five hundred years after the Upanishads. Not only the whole course of world history, but every frank examination of everyday experience points to the very opposite. The development of religions all over the world is determined by the fact that the opposite is true. The age-old problem of theodicy consists of the very question of how it is that a power which is said to be at once omnipotent and kind could have created such an irrational world of undeserved suffering, unpunished injustice, and hopeless stupidity. Either this power is not omnipotent or not kind, or, entirely different principles of compensation and reward govern our life—principles we may interpret metaphysically, or even principles that forever escape our comprehension (p. 122)
      

I chose this passage of Weber's not only because is it very interesting that this evidently know theory is true even today but, the fact of much of the chaos which is going on in the world today with the claim of good. The principles running these very claims hide behind many different religions and, sorrows which always has an undeserving agenda. But, at the same time this has been the wayof the world from the beginning of time.


      

The German Revolution

                                                      The German Revolution


      
  In the second essay, "What Does the Spartacus League Want," written in December 1918 only a month before she was murdered , she lays out the goals of the doomed revolutionary movement. Again she stresses the importance of experience for the development of the masses, and again returns to the ideas of spontaneity and organization:

From dead machines assigned their place in production by capital, the proletarian masses must learn to transform themselves into the free and independent directors of this process. They have to acquire the feeling of responsibility proper to active members of the collectivity which alone possesses ownership of all social wealth. They have to develop industriousness without the capitalist whip, the highest productivity without slave drivers, discipline without the yoke, order without authority. The highest idealism in the interest of the collectivity, the strictest self-discipline, the truest public spirit of the masses are the moral foundations of socialist society, just as stupidity, egotism, and corruption are the moral foundations of capitalist society.

   I chose this passage because it describes today's world to a T. This whole corrupt system with the rich ruling and contradicting themselves on their so called compassion for the lower and middle class. Not only do they promise the babies of this country a good life for fighting for their country. But, with in their reasoning behind why these children are fighting and dying due to their, lies, greed and deceit, the ones who do make it out realize that all they were promised were a mere lie! 
   This is our what country have been doing to our youth. Great example; the twin towers. No other country had a thing to do with the collapse of those three towers. Yes I said three. Because if anyone has done their research on the collapse they would have learned what really happened. But, here we go again! The capitalist want what is not theirs for the taking. America is basically out of natural recourses and that also explains why they made it their priority to proclaim such concern for Cuba. Compared to much of the known lands by America, Cuba is like a virgin and, that man named the United States of America wants her more than ever.  
   This passage would make me go on forever but, think about this, this did not just come about. They have been raping, riches, youth, societies, intellect and races, from the beginning of time. It's now the question of what are we the 99 percent going to do about it?