The Dialectics of Seeing - 1990

In this groundbreaking work, Susan Buck-Morss unlocks the architectural and social theory at the heart of Walter Benjamin's unfinished masterpiece, The Arcades Project. Through pioneering scholarship and lucid analysis, she illuminates Benjamin's revolutionary interpretation of the Paris arcades as emblems of modernity and consciousness. Buck-Morss reveals how Benjamin transformed these nineteenth-century shopping passages into a philosophical prism, refracting modern urban experience into its component parts: commodification, fashion, advertising, and architectural innovation. Her investigation weaves together Benjamin's fragments with historical material, philosophical insights, and critical theory to construct a compelling vision of his dialectical approach to seeing. This vital work: - Decodes Benjamin's complex theoretical montage - Maps the intersection of Marxism, surrealism, and critical theory - Explores the relationship between economics, architecture, and social consciousness - Illuminates the origins of modern consumer culture Essential reading for scholars of: - Critical Theory and Frankfurt School - Architectural and Urban Theory - Modern European Philosophy - Cultural Studies and Visual Culture The Dialectics of Seeing: Walter Benjamin and the Arcades Project - Susan Buck-Morss Published 1990 (2nd Printing), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Softcover. Approx. 6x9in. 494pp. In good vintage condition. Some minor wear on the edges/corners.