The Critique And Redemption Of Modernity

The theological Marxism is the combination of the heritage of the positive thought within theologies and the Marxism philosophy, in order to create a ne w type of Marxism philosophy mode of humanism based on the theory of peo ple's liberation and critique or modernization. No matter in the process of the 20th century of the globalization of the philosophy of the Marxism or the ideo logical tradition of the theological Marxism, Benjamin's theological Marxism m akes the utmost importance.This dissertation discusses Benjamin's theological Marxism as a theory inte grity. We try hard to put this integrity in the history of the culture's evolution and the Marxism philosophy developing in the 20th century. Following his the ological Marxism's historical clue and inner logic, using Benjamin's unique res earch method of Dialectic Images, surrounding the theme of "critique and rede mption of modernity", based on the main idea of "origin is the goal" and to d iscuss Benjamin's most important context as a whole, in order to discuss the d eveloping process, logic, idea and evolution of his theological Marxism and to present its appearance and contemporary value in the ever changing fields of h is theories.In the fields of linguistic philosophy, critique of literature and experience t heory, Benjamin uses the two core concepts of "the theological truth" and "the continuum of experience" to establish the primitive form of the theological M arxism. These ideas on the one hand become the beginning and the end of his journey of the critique and redemption of modernity, on the other hand to co nstruct the basis at the ontology and epistemology aspects for the growth of hi s theological Marxism. In the perspective of the theological "general language", Benjamin on the one hand criticize the instrumentalism linguistics for the capi talistic class, the rational theory of knowledge and the traditional epistemology in order to use the method of the human dialectic system of knowledge, the re presentation idea constellation, the mode of the appearance of parables to gradu ally illuminate the inner logic construction of the theological truth. Finally to b ring human back to the original nature of integrity. On the other hand, he disti nguishes the concepts of "experience" and "to experience". Then the situation becomes the modernization of capitalism which make the disappear of the art of narration. So human experience in total becomes poor. Benjamin tries to crit icize the empiricism of Kantism and neo-Kantism to establish one "continuum of experience" including science, religion, history and art, and to find a new w ay to bring modern people back to the inner original life. However, Benjamin's primitive theological Marxism have too strong connection with Judaism mystic ism. It still stays in the field of metaphysics kingdom which lacks the dimensi on of the social reality.In the modern art practicing field, Benjamin positively using the Marxism historical materialism to see the traditional art of "Aura" and the modern art o f "shock". He is trying to politicize the art to fight against the tide of the Fas cism's aesthetical politics to seek the way for human society's redemption of a esthetic. Benjamin give the traditional "Aura" art a new dialectical explanation, to present the poetic prospect of human existence at the same time to expose the modern society's fake "Aura" art, to recall human's faith towards the bea utiful lives' rebuilding. Further, from the experience aspect, using the modern a rt of "shock" to tear up the traditional art of "Aura" to make technology and modern art with the power to function the political reformation. This will enco urage the crowd with the faith to reform the social reality which will break ou t the Fascism ideology's encirclement. Finally which will realize human societ y's total redemption. These strives makes his theological Marxism regain the di mension of social practice which gets out from the mire of the pure metaphysiIn the social historical life aspect, Benjamin use his dialectic image metho d to criticize the modern capitalism society to seek the road leading to the hu man redemption. Benjamin studies the past dialectic images of the Arcades of Paris, the crowd and the flaneurs in the history. On the one hand, to study the past with contemporary perspective, to expose from the origin of the truth of the ruins hiding under the capitalism's flourish and evolution which led people see the fate that capitalism's alienation and will be perish in the future which will also wake people up from the dream of the dominate of the flourish of productions and the history evolution. On the other hand, Benjamin uses the p ast to reflect the contemporary in order to present the potential power within t he past dialectic images to fight against the modern society's Utopia. This will encourage people with revolution power to realize the social change to go on the road of self redemption.In the modern historical philosophy aspect, Benjamin criticizes the continu um, the evolution idea and the linear time conception within history. He builds up a new "breakage" history theory, dialectic progress and whole new Messia h time theory. These are ways to expose the fake ideas of continuum, evolutio n and linear time and they will release the Messiah power which was hide in the historical life long ago. To wake people up from the dreams of limitless p rogress and to ignite the fire of Messiah time revolution which will break dow n the continuum of capitalism to bring human back to the original integrity. B ased on these, Benjamin also criticize the inclination of dogmatization of the S econd International and Soviet Union Marxism. Benjamin combines Marxism's historical materialism and theology of Judaism to finish the construction of his theological Marxism.Although Benjamin's theological Marxism to be a theory for modern peopl e in their existence and culture bears too much atmosphere of theology and Ut opia, we will never deny that his important value in philosophy and in reality for promoting the development of Marxism in the latter half of the 20th centur y and the social critical theory of Frankfort School.