From Verfall and Verkümmerung to Katastrophe: modernity in Walter Benjamin

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss a series of key concepts and notions of Walter Benjamin – in the German edition of his writings – taking as starting point the hypothesis that, in the context of his precept of den Pessimismus organisieren, there is a shift from a focus on modernity as Verfall and Verkümmerung of human capacities towards Katastrophe of humanity and the world. This shift, certainly linked to the historical events that led to the author's death in 1940, begins with discussions on Vermögen and Wahrnehmung and concludes with the theses on Begriff der Geschichte. And between the beginning and the conclusion are reflections pertinent to the approach of “Untergang des Subjekts” (Adorno 2011: 241) and of Massenproduktion in general and in art: Erfahrung, Phantasievorstellung, Potenz, Erinnern, Gedächtnis, Erzählen, Lyrik and Aura. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the shift from Verfall and Verkümmerung to Katastrophe through four essays on Sprache, the main writings relevant to Untergang des Subjekts and Massenproduktion (Passagen-Werk, “Der Erzähler”, Charles Baudelaire and essays on the work of art and photography) and the theses of “Über den Begriff der Geschichte”. Finally, it is worth considering that, throughout this process, Benjamin does not forget dealing with Hilfsmittel for Vertiefung der Apperzeption.