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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

196999

The interruption of myth

Walter Benjamin's concept of critique

Thijs Lijster

pp. 156-174

Abstract

In a letter to his friend Gershom Scholem, Walter Benjamin once expr essed his wish to be considered the "foremost critic of German literature".1 According to some, he has indeed satisfied this ambition, albeit posthumously. However, there has been much discussion about whether Benjamin should be classified as a philosopher, and not rather as a literary critic or an historian.2 Until this day his work is read rather in the circles of literary, media and cultural studies than in philosophy departments.

Publication details

Published in:

Boer Karinde, de Boer Karin, Sonderegger Ruth (2012) Conceptions of critique in modern and contemporary philosophy. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 156-174

DOI: 10.1057/9780230357006_10

Full citation:

Lijster Thijs (2012) „The interruption of myth: Walter Benjamin's concept of critique“, In: K. Boer, K. De Boer & R. Sonderegger (eds.), Conceptions of critique in modern and contemporary philosophy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 156–174.