On Benjamin’s Theory Of Popular Culture

Benjamin’s research involves many areas, among which his popular culture research holds much attention and far-reaching influence. This paper attempts to take time as the boundary, Benjamin’s theory of popular culture is divided into the interpretation of Paris and scholar, the crowd in the19th century, and the Mechanical Reproduction Theory as well as aura in20th century. Paris is the birthplace of popular culture. To observe the popular culture, scholar as the observer of the popular culture, wandering in the corner of the city. The relation between the crowd and them develops in this place. As for20th century’s theory of popular culture, this paper compares the old and new reproduction technology, the traditional art and the art of reproduction technology respectively to clean up the Mechanical Reproduction Theory, it also analyses the characteristics of modern art and the influence of the public emotional experience by taking film as example. In order to gain more comprehensive understanding of the location of the popular culture theory, the characteristics and the shortages, this paper also concludes debate about popular culture reviews between Benjamin and Adorno. Any theory of the research should be faced its practical significance, the last chapter roughly analyses the development of popular culture after Benjamin, and connecting with the present situation of China, and expounds the Benjamin popular culture theory to China’s significance.