Walter Benjamin’s concept of “magical” writing and the influence of early german romanticism

Abstract

Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) is one of the key figures in the intellectual history of the twentieth century, widely known as a prominent representative of the Frankfurt School. His body of work encompasses a broad range of topics—from the philosophy of history and aesthetics to the introduction of such influential concepts as the “aura” of the work of art. However, despite the considerable scholarly attention devoted to his thought, Benjamin’s ideas about language and its complex relationship to the tradition of early German Romanticism remain insufficiently explored, particularly within the Ukrainian academic context. Existing scholarship tends to focus primarily on the broader aspects of Walter Benjamin’s philosophy and aesthetics, without providing a systematic and comparative analysis of his conception of language in direct dialogue with the philosophies of language developed by Johann Georg Hamann, Novalis, and Friedrich Schlegel. This article aims to fill this gap by focusing on the early period of Benjamin’s work, when his philosophical views were still in the process of formation. The object of analysis is Benjamin’s reflections on language, which articulate his distinctive “magical” or “non-instrumental” conception of writing. His position on language is primarily developed in his 1916 letter to Martin Buber, in which he declines the invitation to collaborate with the journal Der Jude, as well as in his essay from the same year, “On Language as Such and on the Language of Man.” As this study demonstrates, Benjamin shares with the Romantics a conception of philosophy that draws on the Kabbalistic tradition, thereby defending a specific notion of truth as an “event,” characteristic of Romantic thought. It is precisely in this light that he regards the Romantic journal Athenäum as exemplary, since it offers a vivid illustration of his “magical” conception of writing. In turn, understanding the sources of his conception is of critical importance for a full comprehension of Benjamin’s philosophy and can be applied to contemporary discussions in the philosophy of language.