The Aesthetic Ground of Critical Theory: New Readings of Benjamin and Adorno

233 Pages·2015·1.7 MB·English

by  Nathan Ross

The Aesthetic Ground of
Critical Theory
Founding Critical Theory
Series Editors: Owen Hulatt, Teaching Fellow,
Department of Philosophy, University of York
Darrow Schecter, Reader in History amd Social
and Political Thought, University of Sussex
This series publishes original research on prominent figures, texts and topics in, and
associatedwith,thefirstgenerationofFrankfurtSchoolCriticalTheory.Theseriescom-
prisesspecializedtreatmentsoftopicsandthinkerstogetherwithnewtranslationsofkey
textsfromtheperiod.EmphasisislenttoCriticalTheoryasanon-goingresearchproject,
and both its original research and historical scholarship is articulated in these terms.
Critical Theorycontainsan intrinsic commitmenttointer-disciplinaryresearch,and this
seriesattemptstohonourthiscommitmentwherepossible.
TitlesintheSeries
TheAestheticGroundofCriticalTheory,EditedbyNathanRoss.
The Aesthetic Ground of
Critical Theory
New Readings of Benjamin and Adorno
Nathan Ross
London•NewYork
PublishedbyRowman&LittlefieldInternational,Ltd.
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Copyright©2015byNathanRossandContributors
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AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN:HB978-1-7834-8292-4
PB978-1-7834-8293-1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Theaestheticgroundofcriticaltheory:newreadingsofBenjaminandAdorno/[editedby]Nathan
Ross.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-78348-292-4(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-1-78348-293-1(pbk.:alk.paper)--ISBN
978-1-78348-294-8(electronic)
1.Aesthetics.2.Criticaltheory.3.Benjamin,Walter,1892-1940.4.Adorno,TheodorW.,1903-
1969.5.Experience.
BH39.A28542015
111'.850922--dc23
2015029369
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction:TheAestheticGroundofCriticalTheory xi
NathanRoss
TheRelationship xiii
TheChapters xvii
Notes xxiii
1 BenjaminandAdornoonArtasCriticalPractice 1
GeorgW.Bertram
Adorno’sCritiqueofBenjamin 2
Benjamin’sConceptionofArt 5
ArtasCriticalPractice 9
ArtasCritiquethatEffectsChange 12
Notes 14
2 TheBenjaminianMomentinAdorno’sAestheticTheory:
SpacialityandtheToposoftheBourgeoisIntérieur 17
MarciaMorgan
Notes 29
3 Adorno’sCriticalTheoryattheCrossroadsofHegelandBenjamin 31
NataliaBaeza
Adorno’sHegelianism:SystemandTotality 32
AdornoandBenjamin:Non-identityandtheNon-conceptual 36
Conclusion:AdornoattheCrossroadsofHegel’sDialecticand
Benjamin’sConstellations 41
Notes 43
v
vi Contents
4 TheJargonofOntologyandtheCritiqueofLanguage:
Benjamin,Adorno,andPhilosophy’sMotherlessTongue 47
EduardoMendieta
ThePurgatoryofLanguageortheTheologyofLanguage 49
TheLiquidationofPhilosophy,orPhilosophy’sNon-
ContemporaneousContemporaneity 53
FaciaHippocratica,ortheSufferingofNature 56
LanguageasRuination,orlosFílosofosDeslenguados 59
Notes 63
5 “ThePolarityInformingMimesis”:TheSocialImportof
MimesisinBenjaminandAdorno 67
NathanRoss
“ThePolarityInformingMimesis”inBenjamin’s“Artwork”
Essay 68
Art’sMimesisofSocialRationalityinAdorno’sAestheticTheory 74
Notes 79
6 WalterBenjamin’sCritiqueoftheCategoryofAestheticForm:
“TheWorkofArtintheAgeofitsTechnological
Reproducibility”fromthePerspectiveofBenjamin’sEarlyWriting 83
AlisonRoss
TheConceptofAestheticForminEarlyandLateBenjamin 86
DistractionandCollectiveExperience 90
Conclusion 94
Notes 96
7 WalterBenjaminandthe“HighlyProductiveUseoftheHuman
Being’sSelf-Alienation” 99
StéphaneSymons
TheOriginofGermanTragicDrama(Mournfulness) 100
TheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnological
Reproducibility(Possibility) 102
Conclusion 108
Notes 108
8 TheComposerasProducer 111
JosephWeiss
LocatingtheTruthofTechnicallyReproducedMusic 114
Coda:ThePublicStudio 121
Notes 124
9 TheAestheticExperienceofShudder:AdornoandtheKantian
Sublime 129
SurtiSingh
TheKantianSublimeandtheExperienceofModernArt 130
ArchaicFearandSubjectivity 136
Contents vii
TheShudderandtheSubjecttoCome 139
Notes 141
10 EcologicalExperience:Aesthetics,Life,andtheShudderin
Adorno’sCriticalTheory 145
RickElmore
TheEcologicalDimensionofAdorno’sCritiqueofNature 146
Life,theShudder,andAestheticComportment 149
Notes 156
11 EnigmaticalnessasaFundamentalCategoryinAdorno’s
AestheticTheory 159
AndreaSakoparnig
HowItisThatArtworksAppeartobeEnigmatic—TheLogic
ofAestheticExperience 160
TheRelevanceofAestheticEnigmaticalness 169
TheImportanceofEnigmaticalnessinAdorno’sThinkingin
General 171
Notes 173
12 AestheticEducation,HumanCapacity,Freedom 177
TomHuhn
Notes 188
Bibliography 191
Index 199
Contributors 205