Journal for contemporary philosophy
The third issue of 2011 is online. Several historical events shape the framework within which the contributions to this issue of Krisis may be fitted.
Seventy-five years ago, in 1936, Walter Benjamin’s famous Artwork-essay was published, perhaps the best-known essay on art in the twentieth century. Benjamin here analyses how technological as well as political developments transform both the nature of the work of art, and its political role. Four authors, both from the Netherlands and from abroad, answer the call from the editors of Krisis to take Benjamin’s essay as a resource for a new personal reflection upon the condition of the artwork in the present political, social, and cultural constellation.
Just, or already, ten years ago, 9/11 happened. In a recent Amsterdam debate evening, three authors focussed upon one specific consequence of these attacks for our daily life: the fear for an ‘invisible enemy’. Next to the invisible dangers produced by ‘risk society’, we are now also confronted with the threat of an invisible enemy, an enemy that is the object of permanent reconnaissance efforts and investigative procedures but that nevertheless remains as elusive as it appears alarming. In their contributions, the authors show how we envision these new dangers, and what political conclusions we derive from them.
Fully present-day is the Occupy-phenomenon. In an inspired reflection, Rogier van Reekum asks what this movement can tell us about political self-perception and styles of citizenship in both the United States and the Netherlands. A few review articles conclude this issue of Krisis.
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