Against the formalization of suffering: marginal “actuality” of Benjamin's philosophy

Abstract

This work resumes and continues the question about the relevance of Walter Benjamin's philosophy. For this, the exploration of certain epistemological and political guidelines that determine his conception of criticism is prioritized (and not the aesthetic, anthropological and/or cultural enclaves). It is affirmed as a starting point that in the thought of Benjamin the suffering can be identified as the origin of a critical epistemology. From this, it is argued that Benjamin's conception of criticism depends on his conception of history. Then, it tries to indicate that criticism is an expression of the experience of suffering and, at the same time, the vivification of the weak messianic voice of the dead. Finally, the update and actuality here and now of the Benjaminian criticism is investigated: it is argued that the philosophy that puts coloniality at the center as a marginal configuration of suffering allows critical theory to be updated to the extent that it avoids the formalization of such a concept.