An Allegorical Text Of Modernism: The Study About Walter Benjamin In The Cultural Context Of China

Walter Benjamin tried to refuse to be comprehended with obscurity. But his peculiar style appealed endless comprehension. The study about Benjamin's theory in China was more meaningful because of the differences of cultural tradition, study surrounding and social condition between China and western countries. The short reception history of Benjamin's theory also reflected the social situation of China. Scholars in Marxist vision tried to research the immanent relation between Benjamin's theory and Marxism. They reviewed Benjamin's radical attitude toward revolutionary force of modern art and thought over Benjamin's optimistic attitude toward politics. Scholars in theological vision discussed messianic criticism based both on Kabbalistic and Messianic complex by means of an analysis of Benjamin's metaphysics of language and philosophy of history. By interpretation of "allegory" and "aura", scholars in anthropological vision paid more attention to Benjamin's retrospection to living state of human in ancient period. Their purpose was to criticize the commercial society of alienation and to explore the development trend of human society. Moreover, they devoted to solving the contradiction between reminiscence and radicalization in Benjamin's theory. In the cultural context of China, not only Benjamin's works, but also his background, just as his Jewish birth, the friendship with Gershom Scholem, Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno and Bertolt Brecht, the same status with Charles Baudelaire, the same personal passion of collection with Eduard Fuchs, the same dumpish contemplation with Kafka, and his suicide are all texts which can be interpreted endlessly. All about his background, all his works and all interpretations of his theory in China compose an allegorical text of modernism. Endless interpretation of allegorical text aims at social reality. Interpretation in each vision, positive or negative, points at modern anxiety. Both reminiscence and radicalization reflect scholar's meditation about reality. Chinese scholars' interests show particularly cultural character and thus Benjamin's figure in the cultural context of China is meaningful.Benjamin's strategy in reading and interpreting the book of reality is worthy of research. By means of various interpretations of Benjamin's theory, Chinese scholars discover the reality in the era of high capitalism. But modern anxiety doesn't only puzzle others because the development of human society is also related to the future living of Chinese people. Walter Benjamin has ever thought about human development and meditated the relation between human and nature. He didn't think that the progress of science means the progress of human. It is significant because the tendency of human development must influence the situation of China, although compared with western countries, the reality of China is particular. Nowadays, the problem that science and technology bring human progress or ruin is so prominent. This is perhaps the illumination originated from Benjamin's theory. Benjamin's peculiar analysis of the art in the age of mechanical reproduction must elicit the debate of the trend of modern art. The problem that whether to choose the position as Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno or to adopt Walter Benjamin's cultural strategy of cooperating with populace is more complicated in China. Therefore, Benjamin's theory is of more value. Walter Benjamin brought us so many illuminations with all his questions and assumptions. The most important thing is not to agree with or oppose to him but to ponder his illuminations so as to reconsider our hard experience of pursuing the progress and seeking the truth of history.