On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue
The aim of this article is to explore the potential tension that according to Walter Benjamin is at stake in the opposition between the bourgeois conception of language and an inquiry into the essence of language, taking into account important texts written in 1916, in order to shed light on languag...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/76 |
| _version_ | 1797342664749744128 |
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| author | Bjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen |
| author_facet | Bjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen |
| author_sort | Bjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this article is to explore the potential tension that according to Walter Benjamin is at stake in the opposition between the bourgeois conception of language and an inquiry into the essence of language, taking into account important texts written in 1916, in order to shed light on language that moves in the direction of a dialogical situation premised on a tragic approach. More specifically, beginning with an outline of Benjamin’s notion of the relationship between language and action, with particular attention to his 1916 letter to Martin Buber and the role of language, it then goes on to discuss the structure of language in the 1916 essay on language, at the end of which Benjamin asserts that there is a “tragic relationship between the languages of human speakers”. Drawing on a posthumously published essay from 1916, entitled The Role of Language in Tragedy and Trauerspiel, it finally seeks to show how this tragic relationship is essential to a dialogical situation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8efebfc1684d4df4a279fc0c18b1c5e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:32Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-8efebfc1684d4df4a279fc0c18b1c5e62024-01-26T18:14:53ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-01-011517610.3390/rel15010076On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic DialogueBjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen0School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, DenmarkThe aim of this article is to explore the potential tension that according to Walter Benjamin is at stake in the opposition between the bourgeois conception of language and an inquiry into the essence of language, taking into account important texts written in 1916, in order to shed light on language that moves in the direction of a dialogical situation premised on a tragic approach. More specifically, beginning with an outline of Benjamin’s notion of the relationship between language and action, with particular attention to his 1916 letter to Martin Buber and the role of language, it then goes on to discuss the structure of language in the 1916 essay on language, at the end of which Benjamin asserts that there is a “tragic relationship between the languages of human speakers”. Drawing on a posthumously published essay from 1916, entitled The Role of Language in Tragedy and Trauerspiel, it finally seeks to show how this tragic relationship is essential to a dialogical situation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/76Benjaminlanguagesilencecommunicationtragic |
| spellingShingle | Bjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue Religions Benjamin language silence communication tragic |
| title | On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue |
| title_full | On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue |
| title_fullStr | On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue |
| title_short | On the Brinks of Language: Benjamin’s Approach to a Tragic Dialogue |
| title_sort | on the brinks of language benjamin s approach to a tragic dialogue |
| topic | Benjamin language silence communication tragic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/76 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bjarkemørkørestigelhansen onthebrinksoflanguagebenjaminsapproachtoatragicdialogue |