Joel Alvarado
May 9, 2015



Assignment Due 5/9: Choose a passage from "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," write out the passage, explain what it means and why you chose it.


Hamann:
Language is the embodiment of experience and tradition; as long as the ability to think rests on language, neither ‘reason’ nor ‘philosophy’ can be pure of the empirical, of experience, and of the experience of the others to whom we relate. It itself is a ‘union of opposites,’ of the aesthetic and the logical, the bodily and the intellectual; it unites the division Kant’s Critique creates (Dickson ibid).

In his writing Hamann, speaks about language and the role it plays on human society. He argues that before we understand the concept of language we need to understand the difference between the intellectual part of it and the linguistic part of it. Even though people might perceive it as being the same, he argues that it requires a higher level of thinking in order to understand and being able to separate the both. He also mentioned that many times language is used to express intelligence and wisdom, but it does not come from tradition nor philosophy, instead it comes from the experiences of that individual. He also mentions that both the linguistic and intellectual aspect of it are connected but are undeniably opposites. 

I personally believe that he was trying to imply that many individuals perceive language as just being a tool that humans use to communicate. He argues that it is much more than that, he clearly explains that language shows one's intellectual capacity and the level of sophistication that they posses.

I chose this passage because I agree with Hannan and his perspective about language. Everyone knows that language is mostly used to express the tongues that they know and express many of their traditions.  I also believe that language can be totally free of meaning, it can sometimes be abstract and utilized to imply other things such as a feelings or rational thought. Language is not only spoken words, it can also come in other forms such as writing and expressions. I believe that language has had a tremendous impact on humanity because it has changed many aspects of human life. Language has allowed humanity to evolve and dominate in everything we do, from recordings in history to the way that the present is shaped.  Another reason why I choose this passage is because language is in many places that we take for granted, for example, it is the key that allows technology to function the way it does. This is why I agree with Hamann when he implied that language is much more than linguistics that expresses things we want to imply.

 
 

Joel Alvarado
5/2/15
LEH 355


                                                            Ernst Jünger


Assignment Due 5/2: Choose a passage from Jünger, write it out, explain the meaning of it, and why you chose this passage.

 

"We  find ourselves in a situation where we are still capable of grasping what is lost; we can still sense the destruction of values and how the world is becoming more shallow and superficial. New generations are growing up far removed from all our inherited traditions, and it is an amazing feeling to see these children many of whom will live to experience the year 2000. By then, the last remnants of the modern, i.e., Copernican, age will most likely have disappeared (p. 45)."

In that particular section of his writings, Jünger was stating that it was not too late to regain what was lost. With that statement, he was implying that a lot of the traditions, cultures, morals, and values were being lost because of the politics and the technological advances.When he implies that the world was becoming more shallow and superficial he was referring to technology and how it had a tremendous impact on society because it was revolutionizing humanity, as they knew it. Jünger was also arguing that a lot of people were speculating that technology was bringing about plenty of positive things such as wealth and advancements in communication. From a militaristic standpoint, Jüngert knew it was not all positivity because many innovations were going to bring about nothing but destruction.

In the next part of the text, Jünger empathized with many of the societies speculations regarding technology, he mentioned that it was a great feeling to see the new generation reach the year 2000. I personally believe that he knew and understood that technology was benefiting many fields such as the medical world.

The reason why I chose this particular passage is because Jünger was a great writer and philosopher that was really good in communicating what he felt. In his writing he explained that humanity was heading in a positive direction but it had its perks. I found it highly fascinating to learn how in addition to his militaristic experience he was offered many positions in the Nazi regime but he refused to be a part of it. This portion of his writing highlighted the fact that even though he was a high military figure, he had a sense of empathy towards the future and he was concerned about the direction that society was moving towards.