FIRE ALARM: READING WALTER BENJAMIN'S ON THE CONCEPT OF HISTORY; TRANS. BY CHRIS TURNER

Revolutionary Critic Of The Philosophy Of Progress, Nostalgic Of The Past Yet Dreaming Of The Future, Romantic Partisan Of Materialism ... Walter Benjamin Is In Every Sense Of The Word An Unclassifiable Philosopher. His Last Text Was Written In A State Of Urgency, As He Attempted To Escape The Gestapo In 1940, Before Finally Committing Suicide. Michael Lowy Argues That It Remains One Of The Most Important Philosophical And Political Writings Of The Twentieth Century, In This Scrupulous, Clear And Fascinating Examination. Looking In Detail At Benjamin's Celebrated But Often Mysterious Text, And Restoring The Philosophical, Theological And Political Context, Lowy Highlights The Complex Relationship Between Redemption And Revolution In Benjamin's Philosophy Of History.--jacket. Romanticism, Messianism, And Marxism In Walter Benjamin's Philosophy Of History -- A Reading Of Walter Benjamin's Theses 'on The Concept Of History' -- The Opening-up Of History. Michael Löwy ; Translated By Chris Turner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [117]-138) And Index. Revolutionary critic of the philosophy of progress, nostalgic of the past yet dreaming of the future, romantic partisan of materialism... Walter Benjamin is in every sense of the word an "unclassifiable" philosopher. His essay On the Concept of History was written in a state of urgency, as he attempted to escape the Gestapo in 1940, before finally committing suicide. Michael Lowy argues that it remains one of the most important philosophical and political writings of the twentieth century, in this scrupulous, clear and fascinating examination. Looking in detail at Benjamin's celebrated but often mysterious text, and restoring the philosophical, theological and political context, Lowy highlights the complex relationship between redemption and revolution in Benjamin's philosophy of history. Looking at Walter Benjamin's celebrated text, "On the Concept of History" in the philosophical, theological and political context, this book strives to understand the complex relationship between redemption and revolution in Benjamin's philosophy of history.