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ERIC Number: EJ1116742
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-1366
EISSN: N/A
"Cracking Open the Natural Teleology": Walter Benjamin, Charles Fourier and the Figure of the Child
Dolbear, Sam; Proctor, Hannah
Pedagogy, Culture and Society, v24 n4 p495-503 2016
The French utopian socialist Charles Fourier is a key figure in Walter Benjamin's "Arcades Project". For Benjamin, one of the most significant aspects of Fourier's utopian vision was its conceptualisation of work as a form of play. According to Fourier it would be possible to build a world around people's inherent desires. In such a world work would be pleasurable and therefore free from exploitation. This paper explores and critiques Benjamin's engagement with Fourier, arguing that he overlooked the persistence of domination in Fourier's world. Here, however, Benjamin's writings on the figure of the child suggest an alternative to Fourier's ordered universe. Benjamin credited Fourier with "cracking open the natural teleology." This article argues that although Fourier perpetuated a vision of natural progress and order that conformed with Enlightenment thinking, Benjamin's writings on pedagogy imagine the child as capable of intervening in history and nature. Rather than imagining the child as a prototype adult, or play as a rehearsal for work, this paper will follow Benjamin in exploring the revolutionary potential of children's unique perceptions, which pose a challenge to existing adult structures.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A