Benjamin Mass Media Aesthetics Thought

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940), distinguished Germanic philosopher and aesthetician of twenty century. For a long time in the early days of twenty century, Benjamin presented the frame of mass-medium theory. Benjamin aesthetic theory of mass medium constructed upon art production theory and by comparison between traditional art and art during technologic reproducibility period, he explained phenomenon concerning the transform of art and the mass. Of which, he shown us his particular opinion towards the disseminator, acceptor and the most representative carrier of mass medium-photography and movie. We are delighted to see among his thought that the disseminator of mass medium is "art-politicalized", the acceptors have "independent mind", its most representative carriers photography and movie are "revolutionary pioneers". Although these of his special opinions were criticized by many scholars and was misconceived as "technical determinist" due to his stress on technology. But undeniably, his esthetics thought still had the noticeable guiding sense to the contemporary West and China's mass media theory's construction.