Theology Or Marxism?

No one today is to doubt Walter Benjamin's status in the history of thoughts in the twentieth century. Nevertheless, his unique individuality and the timber of his thought have much rendered to prevent an academic elucidation of his status, leaving his ideas in ambiguity, and even in mysticism. Against this background, On the Concept of History, Benjamin's last work, provides an excellent approach.Yet, On the Concept of History is an intellectual trial albeit its modest eighteen paragraphs. Inalienable from the colossal Passagen-werk in his later years, particularly from his thesis paper on Baudelairean studies already in shape, this work has a determining significance for an evaluation on Benjamin's thoughts in his later years and even in his entire life. On the Concept of History is noted for its extraordinarily high quotation rate and fame, but not for a clarified interpretation as a result of a close reading of text. The twenty-thousand-word paper, An Interpretation on Benjamin's On the Concept of History, by Rulf Tidermann, is a rare case of particularization, yet still hardly pleasing to the more critical researchers. Michael Loewy, a French researcher, has produced the book Fire Alarm: An Interpretation on Benjamin's On the Concept of History, which is even farther from being satisfactory.After a meticulous reading of the book and the related texts, we have come to the conclusion that, contrary to the prevailing assumption that there exist many uncompromising ambiguities in this paper, it is an integral whole, with its innate consistency a gift from Marxism, i.e. historical materialism. Benjamin was not a so-called theologian, nor a mystic, but a Marxist intellectual harboring anti-fascist and proletarian ideals.Besides, this dissertation develops in refutation to a series of misinterpretations on Benjamin. Of the misinterpreters, three are chosen for their important relationship with Benjamin and their finalizing influence among the Benjamin circle. They are: Hannah Arendt, Gerhard Scholem and Rulf Tidermann. Arendt was renowned philosopher and assignee of Benjamin's On the Concept of History. Scholem was Benjamin's life-long friend and keeper of that reputed painting New Angel mentioned in On the Concept of History. And Tidermann, as mentioned in the earlier part of this synopsis, was one of the editors of Benjamin's colleted works in the German version. A careful observation into their studies reveals that there is much room for discussion. Lacking in textual basis, they are hardly strict and even carries ideological marks. Benjamin was basically different from Arendt and others in their political ground, a problem worthy of serious attention and treatment. Without a solution in this aspect, studies on Benjamin sees no real progress, and Benjamin's thoughts remain unjustified among the audience.Terry Eagleton has pointed out that it is necessary to give a political interpretation to Bejamin. This is in fact a natural requisite of On the Concept of History, a stark and clear political standpoint in itself, only that it has been blurred in the name of academism. Vladimir Lenin has stated that the revolutionary parts of a thinker are always castrated or distorted, which provides a feeble proof to Benjamin's historical significance and value. Benjamin has become part of history, yet the keen observations in On the Concept of History remain sharp as ever for a certain readership.