With the Sharpened Axe of Reason (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781859730546)

Walter Benjamin holds a unique fascination for students and scholars interested in the question of modernity. The most original thinker of Weimar Germany, Benjamin has become something of a cultural icon and his works are often regarded with awe rather than critical scrutiny. This book offers surprising new insights from a number of perspectives -- sociology, history, women's studies, literary and cultural studies -- and investigates unexplored areas of Benjamin scholarship to arrive at a critically balanced perception of his work. There are four main sections: - a critical re-evaluation of Benjamin's concepts of history and modernity in light of postmodernist discourses; - a discussion of aspects of Benjamin's literary scholarship; - a re-evaluation of Benjamin's writings on media and performance theories; and - an investigation of Benjamin's peculiar 'utopianism' which includes a critical consideration of sexual/gender politics.

Author: Gerhard Fischer
ISBN-10: 185973054X
ISBN-13: 9781859730546
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Language: English
Published: 04/01/1996
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.36h x 5.25w x 0.57d