Readings against the grain and a useful concept of history for life. Walter Benjamin and Friedrich Nietzsche: a possible dialogue

Authors

Abstract

This article proposes to review the critique of historicism and the notion of progress in On the concept of history by Walter Benjamin (1940), to put it in relation to Friedrich Nietzsche’s theses on history. Indeed, in the so-called second untimely consideration, On the usefulness and harm of history for life (1874), he proposes to think about history from a conception contrary to scientism that is, in some way, represented with the objectivity promoted by authors like Leopold von Ranke. In this sense, a conceptual relationship could be established between Benjamin and Nietzsche in order to propose that their perspectives constitute complementary views of history.

Keywords:

Walter Benjamin, Friedrich Nietzsche, history, historicism, progress

Author Biography

Natalia Taccetta, Investigadora adjunta del CONICET

Investigadora adjunta del CONICET con sede en el Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Doctora en Ciencias Sociales por la Universidad de Buenos Aires y en Filosofía por la Université Paris VIII. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2063-1419.
Correo electrónico: ntaccetta@gmail.com