Messianism in the texts of Walter Benjamin and Jacques Derrida
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2022-4-58-73
Abstract
Secular messianism, placed in the center of the article’s topic, isn’t a consistent religious or philosophical tradition. However, though it doesn’t have a consistent philosophical genealogy, and tears ties with religious tradition, “weak” messianism could be considered as a unite discourse, which unites authors of heterogenous philosophical and religious traditions. At the core of the messianic discourse, placed in the article’s focus, lies the critic of a positive exclusivist cult as a system of power, and construction of a negative cult on a basis of a critical discourse. In the article with the help of conceptual apparatus, developed by Michele Foucault, Judith Butler, Giorgio Agamben, and Bruno Latour’s version ANT’s elements, Walter Benjamin’s “messianic” texts and Jacques Derrida later texts, in which he turns to “messianic” problematic, are discussed. As a result of the deconstruction of a subject– oriented metaphysics, against which stands “weak” messianism’s discourse, modern linear temporality of an assymmetric ontology changes into messianic time of an onto–epistemologically symmetric hauntology (hontologie). In hauntology there is no room for economy of violence, based on the practice of exclusion and systemic production of violence upon those who are excluded.
Keywords
cult,
messianic time,
capitalism,
messianism,
guilt,
event,
temporality,
weak messianic power,
hauntology,
dispositif
Supporting agencies: The publication was prepared as part of the work on the scientific project of Russian State University for the Humanities “The Cult in the Perspective of the Humanities” (contest “Student scientific project teams of Russian State University for the Humanities”).
About the Author
R. G. Statnikov
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Roman G. Statnikov
bld. 6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Review
For citations:
Statnikov R.G. Messianism in the texts of Walter Benjamin and Jacques Derrida. Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2022;(4):58-73. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2022-4-58-73
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