Pre Theme 2 - Critical media studies

1. Dialectic of Enlightenment

a. What is "Enlightenment"?

Enlightenment is broadly defined as “the advanced thought” referring to knowledge. It is through knowledge and rational thinking that we can overcome our fears and restrictions in order to make ourselves masters.

b. What is "dialectic"?

A method for concluding the truth through a discussion based on logical and rational thinking. This type of discussion often occurs in groups where opinions differ. The discussion  requires each person to keep his mind open to others opinons and perspectives in order to succefully maintain the truth.

c. What is "nominalism" and why is it an important concept in the text?

Simplified nominalism determines if objects has an existence or not. If an object is abstract it's considered to be non-existing and on the contrary if an object is physical it's considered as existing.  The general conditions we attach to the abstract , non-existing, objects are just names we give to groups of phenomena.

By this being said, nominalism states that objects that can not be scientifically proven are not true. Leading back to enlightenment, which also states that we can find the truth by using knowledge, nominalism becomes an important concept in the text.

d. What is the meaning and function of "myth" in Adorno and Horkheimer's argument?

Adorno and Horkheimer uses the meaning of myth as a function to explain and strengthen their view of enlightenment. I perceived myth to be invented fantasies created by us in order to achieve a feeling of secureness when confronted whit questions that we have no explanations to. Our fears are the myths.

2. "The work of Art in the age of Technical Reproductivity"

a. In the beginning of the essay, Benjamin talks about the relation between "superstructure" and "substructure" in the capitalist order of production. What do the concepts "superstructure" and "substructure" mean in this context and what is the point of analyzing cultural production from a Marxist perspective?
Examples of superstructures are societies, cultures or religions. All superstructures encourages the society to develop. Superstructures are created by adjoined substructures, without them, superstructures don’t exist. The substructures are in this context explained as the production of e.g. movies or paintings.

By this said, the connection between substructures and superstructures makes any change made to either fot hem affect the other. The substructures can change quickly, meanwhile superstructure take longer time until a change is made. I had difficulties fully understanding this, but as I perceived it the point with having a Marxist perspective when analyzing cultural production is to see how you can alter a cultural production directly through structures.

b. Does culture have revolutionary potentials (according to Benjamin)? If so, describe these potentials. Does Benjamin's perspective differ from the perspective of Adorno & Horkheimer in this regard?
Benjamin does believe that culture have revolutionary potentials. When the camera was invented we went from paintings to photography, and when the videocamera was invented we went from photography to film. Which proves that the fast developing new technology pushes the cultural revolution forward. The positive aspects of this is the learning and thinking development for people. Therefor it leads back to Adorno & Horkheimer´s perspective about enlightenment where we use our knowledge to see the truth. Although Benjamin isn’t very fond of technology being used to push forward the culture of art, as he feels that the art looses its aura when affected by technology.

c. Benjamin discusses how people perceive the world through the senses and argues that this perception can be both naturally and historically determined. What does this mean? Give some examples of historically determined perception (from Benjamin's essay and/or other contexts).
Benjamin argues that we perceive our world through two different types of perceptions. The first perception is naturally determined, this means it is established by our senses and experience. And the second perception is historically determined, meaning that historical events in the world can also affect our way of perceiving it. An example of such a historically determined perception given by Benjamin is when the late Roman art industry and the Vienna Genesis during the fifth century developed an art with  a new and different perception. I assume that the big shift of population, leading to an increased number of new groups of people, that Benjamin says happened during the fifth century led to a big influence on this historically determined perception.

d. What does Benjamin mean by the term "aura"? Are there different kinds of aura in natural objects compared to art objects?

The term aura is used to describe the originality of art that has not been reproduced. When art becomes reproduced, as a painting becomes a photography, it looses its  esthetic value. Therefor an aura of a piece of art can never be past on to something that has been reproduced. According to Benjamin photographies do not have auras.

This type of aura differs from auras in natural objects. Natural objects auras are based on senses. Benjamin uses the example that a branch casting its shadow on you is an aura from an natural object.