Walter Benjamin vs. William James
Side-by-side comparison of two thinkers
Walter Benjamin
1892 – 1940
Walter Benjamin was a German-Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, and essayist known for influential writings on aesthetics, history, and modernity, including 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.' His interdisciplinary work has had a lasting impact on literary theory, cultural studies, and critical theory.
"There is a secret agreement between past generations and the present one. Our coming was expected on earth. Like every generation that preceded us, we have been…"
William James
1842 – 1910
William James was an American philosopher and psychologist. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, he is considered to be one of the leading thinkers of the late 19th century, one of the most influential philosophers and is often dubbed the "father of American psychology". A Review of General Psychology analysis, published in 2002, ranked James as the 14th most eminent psychologist of the 20th century.
"The difference between the first- and second-best things in art absolutely seems to escape verbal definition — it is a matter of a hair, a shade, an inward quiv…"
Connections
Both wrote about: