Natura e linguaggio in Benjamin: il prezzo del messianesimo

Damiano Roberi

Damiano Roberi

Parole chiave: Nature, Lament, Similarities, Translation, Messianism.

Abstract

The relationship between Nature and language represents one of the
major topics of Walter Benjamin’s reflections. This paper examines two issues: the collocation of human language (it is, in fact, both inside and outside Nature), and the messianic adjustment of this situation. The first point will be developed initially from a phylogenetic point of view, finding in the Änlichkeiten both an access point to the depth of being and the risk of getting lost within the Vorwelt of language. Lament (Klage) will represent the pivotal point that will lead us to a confrontation with
Benjamin’s interpretation of Original Sin, in particular of Nature’s dumbness. We will try and demonstrate how the task of the translator toward Nature cannot help but tackle the problem of lament. This happens quite paradoxically, since Man, who should allow Nature to speak, is the very one who has struck it dumb. This critical point will be examined whilst looking at the Theological-Political Fragment, in
which Nature is seen as messianic. This seems to be, however, at the same time both a first- and second-rank peculiarity. The price of a linguistic messianism, from the point of view of Nature, will finally prove to be particularly high.

Riferimenti bibliografici

AGAMBEN, Giorgio (1986), «Langue et histoire. Catégories historiques et categories linguistiques dans la pensée de Benjamin», in WISMANN, Heinz, a c. di, Walter Benjamin et Paris, Paris, Cerf, pp. 793-807;

AGAMBEN, Giorgio (2000), Il tempo che resta. Un commento alla Lettera ai Romani, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri;

AGAMBEN, Giorgio (2002), L’aperto. L’uomo e l’animale, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri;

BENJAMIN, Andrew (2013), Working with Walter Benjamin. Recovering a Political Philosophy, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press;

BENJAMIN, Walter (1974), hrsg. von R. Tiedemann und H. Schweppenhäuser, Gesammelte Schriften I, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

BENJAMIN, Walter (1977), hrsg. von R. Tiedemann und H. Schweppenhäuser, Gesammelte Schriften II, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

BENJAMIN, Walter (1978), a c. di G.C. Scholem e T.W. Adorno, Lettere 1913-1940, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (1989), hrsg. von R. Tiedemann und H. Schweppenhäuser, unter Mitarbeit von C. Gödde, H. Lonitz und G. Smith, Gesammelte Schriften VII, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

BENJAMIN, Walter (1995), hrsg. von C. Gödde und H. Lonitz, Gesammelte Briefe. Band I: 1910-1918, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2001), a c. di E. Ganni, Opere complete II, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2002), a c. di E. Ganni, Opere complete IV, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2003), a c. di E. Ganni, Opere complete V, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2004), a c. di E. Ganni, Opere complete VI, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2008), a c. di E. Ganni, Opere complete I, Torino, Einaudi;

BENJAMIN, Walter (2014), a c. di E. Ganni e H. Riediger, Opere complete VIII, Torino, Einaudi;

BLUMENBERG, Hans (1984), a c. di R. Bodei, La leggibilità del mondo. Il libro come metafora della natura, Bologna, Il Mulino;

BRÖCKER, Michael (2000), «Sprache», in OPITZ, Michael e WIZISLA, Erdmut, a c. di, Benjamins Begriffe, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp, pp. 740-773;

CAVALLETTI, Andrea (2005), Conoscibilità di Bachofen, in JESI, Furio (2005), a c. di A. Cavalletti, Bachofen, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, pp. VII-XXXII;

CHITUSSI, Barbara (2013), «“Denotazione” e “significato”. Walter Benjamin e il paradosso di Russell», in RANCHETTI, Michele, a c. di, Walter Benjamin. Testi e commenti, Macerata, Quodlibet, pp. 143-154;

FENVES, Peter (2001), Arresting language. From Leibniz to Benjamin, Stanford, Stanford University Press;

FENVES, Peter (2011), The messianic reduction. Walter Benjamin and the Shape of Time, Stanford, Stanford University Press;

FERBER, Ilit (2013), «A language of the border: on Scholem’s Theory of Lament», in Journal of Jewish Thought & Philosophy, n. 13, pp. 161-186;

GENTILI, Dario (2008), «Che accade, quando giunge il Messia? Hans Blumenberg e Walter Benjamin», in B@belonline.net, n. 4, pp. 357-363, http://www.babelonline.net/PDF09/Gentili_Blumenberg_Benjamin.pdf;

HAMACHER, Werner (1994), «Afformative, Strike. Benjamin’s ‘Critique of violence’», in BENJAMIN, Andrew e OSBORNE, Peter, a c. di, Walter Benjamin’s philosophy. Destruction and experience, London, Routledge, pp. 110-138;

HAMACHER, Werner (2011), «Das Theologisch-politische Fragment», in LINDNER, Burkhardt, a c. di, Benjamin Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, Stuttgart-Weimar, J.B. Metzler, pp. 175-192;

HAMANN, Georg (2001), a c. di A. Pupi, Aesthetica in nuce: una rapsodia in prosa cabbalistica, Milano, Bompiani;

HANSSEN, Beatrice (2000), Walter Benjamin’s Other History. Of Stones, Animals, Human Beings, and Angels, University of California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London;

HIRSCH, Alfred (2011), «Die Aufgabe der Übersetzer», in LINDNER, Burkhardt, a c. di, Benjamin Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, Stuttgart-Weimar, J.B. Metzler, pp. 609-625;

HUMBOLDT, Wilhelm von (1991), a c. di D. Di Cesare, La diversità delle lingue, RomaBari, Laterza;

JESI, Furio (1988), I recessi infiniti del «Mutterrecht», in BACHOFEN, Johann Jakob, a c. di G. Schiavoni, Il Matriarcato, Torino, Einaudi, pp. XIII-XXXV;

JESI, Furio (2005), a c. di A. Cavalletti, Bachofen, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri;

JESI, Furio (2013), «Il testo come versione interlineare del commento», in RANCHETTI, Michele, a c. di, Walter Benjamin. Testi e commenti, Macerata, Quodlibet, pp. 61-63;

LAVELLE, Patricia (2008), Religion et Histoire. Sur le concept d’expérience chez Walter Benjamin, Paris, Les Éditions du Cerf;

LEMKE, Anja (2011), «Zur späteren Sprachphilosophie», in LINDNER, Burkhardt, a c. di, Benjamin Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, Stuttgart-Weimar, J.B. Metzler, pp. 643-653;

LINDNER, Burkhardt (2011), a c. di, Benjamin Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, Stuttgart-Weimar, J.B. Metzler;

MENKE, Bettine (2010), Das Trauerspiel-Buch. Der Souverän – das Trauerspiel – Konstellationen – Ruinen, Bielefeld, Transcript Verlag;

MENNINGHAUS, Winfried (1995), Walter Benjamins Theorie der Sprachmagie, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

MORONCINI, Bruno (1984), Walter Benjamin e la moralità del moderno, Napoli, Guida;

OPITZ, Michael (2000), «Änlichkeit», in OPITZ, Michael e WIZISLA, Erdmut, a c. di, Benjamins Begriffe, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp, pp. 15-49;

OPITZ, Michael e Wizisla, Erdmut (2000), a c. di, Benjamins Begriffe, Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp;

ROSSI, Paolo (1969), Le sterminate antichità: studi vichiani, Pisa, Nistri-Lischi;

SCHOLEM, Gershom (1992), a c. di E. Castellani e C.A. Bonadies, Walter Benjamin. Storia di un’amicizia, Milano, Adelphi;

SCHOLEM, Gershom (1998), a c. di A. Fabris, Il Nome di Dio e la teoria cabbalistica del linguaggio, Milano, Adelphi;

SCHOLEM, Gershom (2000), a c. di K. Gründer, H. Kopp-Oberstebrink e F. Niewöhner, Gershom Scholem: Tagebücher, Aufsätze und Entwürfe bis 1923. 2. Halbband: 1917-1923, Frankfurt a.M., Jüdischer Verlag;

TAGLIACOZZO, Tamara (2013), «Filosofia del linguaggio e critica della conoscenza nei frammenti giovanili di Walter Benjamin», in BENJAMIN, Walter, a c. di T. Tagliacozzo, Conoscenza e linguaggio. Frammenti II, Milano, Mimesis, pp. 17-103;

TAGLIACOZZO, Tamara (2013a), Walter Benjamin e la musica, Il glifo e-books;

TAUBES, Jacob (1997), a c. di A. e J. Assmann, La teologia politica di San Paolo, Milano, Adelphi;

TAUBES, Jacob (2000), a c. di E. Stimilli, Il prezzo del messianesimo: lettere di Jacob Taubes a Gershom Scholem e altri scritti, Macerata, Quodlibet;

WEBER, Samuel (2010), Benjamin’s –abilities, Cambridge (Massachusetts)-London, Cambridge University Press;

WEIGEL, Sigrid (2011), «Johann Jakob Bachofen», in LINDNER, Burkhardt, a c. di., Benjamin Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, Stuttgart-Weimar, J.B. Metzler, pp. 539-542.