Walter Benjamin’s account of social class and photography Essay Example for Free

Walter Benjamin’s account of social class and photography Essay Walter Bendix Schonflies Benjamin was born in July 15, 1892 in Berlin, German. He was many things rolled in one: sociologist, essayist, philosopher, translator, literary critic. Occasionally, he was associated with critical theory school of Frankfurt, as he wrote extensively on cultural and sociological thoughts and contributed greatly to the Western Marxism and aesthetic theory. He translated Marcel Proust and Charles Baudelaire, the coiner of ‘Modernism’. He himself came up with the term’ auratic perception’ in the aesthetic field in which civilization was to recover myth appreciation (Mali 1999, p. 170). Benjamin came from in a rich business family. His parents were Emil Benjamin, a banker and later a trader in antiques, and Pauline Schonflies, his sibling being Georg and Dora. He later married Dora S. Pollak who bore him a son called Stefan Rafael. He killed himself through an overdose of morphine in Portbou; a French-Spanish border town in 1940. He was escaping from Nazis, who had invaded France. The discussion below will concentrate on Benjamin account of social class and history of photography. Social class Being one of romantic/socialist Jewish-German writers, Walter Benjamin developed a radical anti-protestant and anti-capitalism argument, which was chiefly instigated through the works of Max Weber (Lowy, 2010). In his attempt to describe the system of capitalism, Walter Benjamin proclaims that capitalism was a form of an evil and cruel religion. To him there exists a connection between work ethic of Protestant: hard work, ploughing back of profit to business and frugal life, all of which are the characteristics of bourgeois, and capitalism. Winning more and more money, accumulating wealth and in the process of doing so, one should let go of all pleasures of life are the basic tenets of capitalism. To capitalists, a person is conditioned to continue acquiring wealth not for the sake of gratifying his needs and wants, rather as organized way of living. To Benjamin, bourgeois pay little attention or no attention at all, to the struggle of proletariats. Capitalism begs that the human happiness and life’s need are something meaningless and irrational which according to Benjamin; it is a complete reversal of the common order of life. Capitalism brought about the order of people living for their work instead of working for their life. He borrows the phrase ‘Capitalism as religion’ from Ernst Bloch and Max Weber’s work and Benjamin continue to show the religious aspects of capitalism, and it is not controlled by religion, but capitalism is in itself a religious phenomena, for it has taken the world like a bush fire, no one is save from it’s tentacles. His arguments goes on to highlight how at the Reformation time, Christianity opposed capitalism establishment, but how later Christianity let itself into capitalism (Weber 2002, p. 17). One of characteristic of capitalism as a religion is just like a cult; capitalism does not have a specific theology or dogma but utilitarianism-which wins the day. Such capitalism utilitarian practices: speculations, capital investment, manipulation of stock-exchange, financial operations, buying and selling goods and services; all these aspects take the shape of a religious cult. In capitalism, there is no requirement of a theology, a creed or a doctrine acceptance, rather action counts, which by extension, through social dynamics, take cult practices form. In capitalism, just like in religion, there exist adoration objects which come in form of money. People adore saints in ordinary religions, just as they adore money in capitalism. Benjamin does not stop at that, but goes all the way in comparing paper-notes with ‘Hell’s door architecture’ manifesting seriousness as capitalism’s Holy Spirit. According to him, the world’s religion state is despair, under capitalism. The other characteristic of capitalism, just like the permanence nature of a cult, capitalism is conducted year in year out. Capitalism permeates all the life conduct setting on vocation calling of systematic, restless and continuous work. Most if not all of Catholic holidays have been suppressed by Puritan capitalists who see them as some type of idleness. Capitalist religion permanently deploy ‘sacred pomp’ every day of Finance or Stock-Exchange, adorers following with extreme tension and anguish, the fall or rise of the value of shares. Capitalist practices know not of stoppage, it take over the control of a person, twenty fours hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred sixty five days a year.

Catcher In The Rye - Holden Caufield :: Catcher Rye Essays

Catcher In The Rye - Holden Caufield Holden Caufield was a high school student at a boy's academy by the name of Pency Prep. He feels as though he had fought the world and lost, everyone is against him and that little can bring him joy. He had lost his innocence, and saw himself as a "catcher in the rye", trying to save children from his fate. Holden is quite the eccentric individual. I say this because of the incident with Sally Hayes where he proclaims his love for her and how they should run off together. The reason this makes him an eccentric is, he hates her and in his own words "Sally you're a pain in the ___!" Holden Caufield has many bad qualities including one of his favorite pastimes getting rip-roaring drunk. A good example of this is one of the many bar scenes when he gets quite drunk and asks the waiter to complement the singer. This is a show of his drunkenness because the singer is awful or at least the thought so before he started drinking. This is one among a plethora of bad habits like smoking, cursing, and being extremely cynical (everyone is a phony). Holden is by far not all bad, inside he is moral and generous. There are very clear examples of these good qualities. He had some moral sense because when "bought" the prostitute Sunny for a throw he could not go threw with it, so he paid her anyway and sent her away from him. Holden was charitable when he gave a considerably large donation of twenty dollars to the two nuns. This action was nothing other than an act of pure kindness. Holden Caufield has a foil or an opposite in the story, The Catcher in the Rye. This person is his younger sister, Phoebe. She has a positive outlook on life, while Holden hated it and thought he was doomed. She was his "ray of hope" in life and she was the only thing that brought them true joy. Phoebe was also the only person Holden knew who was not a phony about life and being happy (Sally Hayes). Holden Caufeild seems to change and evolve throughout the book.

Brief of US v. Leon

Should the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule include as one of its exceptions the evidence obtained by officers acting in reasonable reliance on a search warrant issued by a detached and neutral judge but found to be unsupported by probable cause? Statement of Facts: The Burbank Police Department, upon receiving tips from informants, conducted a drug trafficking investigation upon the respondents. Extensive surveillance operation was made on respondent’s three residences and several cars. After sufficient evidence was gathered an officer prepared an application for a warrant to search respondent’s three residences and several vehicles.A search warrant which is facially valid was issued by the judge after examining the supporting affidavits and documents. The search later on yielded large quantities of drugs and other evidence. Respondents were eventually indicted for federal drug offenses. They then filed motions to suppress the evidence seized by reason of the defecti ve warrant. After an evidentiary hearing, the District Court granted the motions in part and concluded that the affidavit was insufficient to establish probable cause.It also concluded that the officer who applied for a search warrant had acted in good faith but rejected their argument that the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule should not apply where the evidence is seized in reasonable and good-faith reliance on a search warrant. The Holding/Decision of the Court: The Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule should not be restrictively applied so as prevent the prosecution from presenting pieces of evidence obtained by officers who acted in reasonable reliance on a search warrant issued by a detached and neutral judge but ultimately found to be invalid and unsupported by probable cause. Reasons/RationaleIn holding in favor of the law enforcement officers, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule was not designed to serve as a personal constitutional right of t he injured person. The use of the evidence taken during an unlawful search does not necessarily constitute a violation of the Fourth Amendment rather the exclusionary rule merely seeks to safeguard Fourth Amendment right by deterring officers from conducting unlawful searches. In determining whether the exclusion of evidence is an appropriate sanction, the court weighed the costs and benefits of preventing the use of evidence illegally obtained.According to the court, the upholding of the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule has serious repercussions for the truth-finding functions of the judge and the jury. This principle has allowed defendants to go free or receive reduced sentence even if they are guilty. The indiscriminate application of this rule hinders and hampers the efficient and effective administration of justice. Although it was clear that they did not question the application of the rule that evidence obtained in substantial and deliberate violation of the Fourth Amendmen t should be made inadmissible in court.However, the court thought that it was time to weigh the cost and benefit of the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule and to modify it to permit the admission of evidence obtained in the reasonable and good faith belief that a search or seizure was in accord with the Fourth Amendment. The court reasoned that the search warrant in this case was issued by a judge after application by a seasoned narcotics investigator. The affidavits were even reviewed by Deputy District Attorneys before it was submitted to the State Superior Court Judge.It stressed that the warrant issued to the law enforcement officer prior to the search and seizure of the pieces of evidence provides a more reliable safeguard against improper and illegal searches compared to the hurried and often impartial judgment of a law enforcement officer. Indeed, there may be differences in opinion insofar as determining whether there is probable cause for the issuance of a warrant, but we a ll agree that search with a warrant is still better than search without a warrant. ,Moreover, according to the Supreme Court, it would not be in keeping with the administration of justice if the law enforcement officers who have diligently conducted their investigation and prepared the necessary affidavits to be punished for the errors of judges. Although it is true that the reason behind the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Clause is to deter police misconduct and to encourage the law enforcement officers to respect the Fourth Amendment rights of the people, the rule should not be strictly applied to hinder the enforcement of law and order.To suppress therefore the evidence obtained based on the reasonable and good-faith reliance on a search warrant would not be in keeping with the spirit and purpose of the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule which is to render inadmissible any evidence obtained in substantial and deliberate violation of the Fourth Amendment. The purpose of this policy is to force the law enforcement officers to respect the people’s Fourth Amendment right not to punish the law enforcement officers for the errors of a judge.But the Supreme Court also clarified that different result will be reached if the warrant in this case was obtained after the law enforcement officers have misled the judge by indicating in the Affidavit submitted to the judge information that the affiant knew to be false or would have known to be false or if the judge gravely abused his discretion in issuing the warrant. In these cases, suppression of the evidence is the appropriate remedy. Suppression may also be the appropriate remedy if the warrant on its face is so defective that it clearly appears that there was no probable cause for its issuance.Concurring Opinion of Justice Blackmun Justice Blackmun agrees with the finding of the majority that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment by officers acting in objectively reasonable reliance on a search warrant issued by a neutral and detached judge need not be excluded. He however stressed that the statements made by them in this case is provisional in nature. This should not be taken as an absolute rule as every case will have to be evaluated in the light of its peculiar fights and circumstances.Dissenting Opinions of Justice Brennan and Justice Marshall In their dissenting opinions, Justice Marshall and Justice Brennan expressed their apprehension about the gradual erosion of the constitutional right of the people under the Fourth Amendment. According to them, this decision which allows the prosecution to present in chief the evidence obtained illegally from a person whose rights have been violated is a signal that the court is breaking away from the requirements of the Fourth Amendment.In my opinion, the dissenting Judges fear that time will come when the protection under the Fourth Amendment will merely be an ideal. They fear that someday this decision will be used as a tool t o destroy the Fourth Amendment. For them, they see the situation as that the issue of constitutional rights is incapable of cost and benefit analysis. They think that though it is important to put a stop to crime and to convict the guilty, this should be not made at the expense of sacrificing our most cherished rights.

Important Phrases for English Phone Conversations

Telephoning in English includes learning a number of special phrases, as well as focusing on listening skills. Some of the most important phrases include how to answer the phone, how to ask for others, how to connect, and how to take messages.   Introducing Yourself Here are a few ways to informally introduce yourself on the telephone: This is Ken.Hello, Ken speaking If youd like to reply more formally, use your full name. This is Jennifer Smith speaking.Hello, Jennifer Smith speaking. If you are answering for a business, just state the business name. In this case, its common to ask how you can help: Good morning, Thomson Company. How may I help you?Plumbers Insurance. How can I be of service today? British / American Difference Hello, this is KenBrighton 0987654 The first example response is in American English and the second is in  British English. As you can see there are differences in both forms. The telephone articles include both  British and American English, as well as phrases that are common to both forms. In  American English, we answer the phone stating This is ... In British English, its common to answer the phone by stating the telephone number. The phrase This is ... is used only on the telephone to substitute the phrase My name is ... which is not used to answer the telephone. Asking Who Is on the Telephone Sometimes, youll need to find out who is calling. Ask them politely for this information: Excuse me, who is this?May (Can) I ask who is calling, please? Asking for Someone At other times, youll need to speak to someone else. This is especially true when you telephone a business. Here are some examples: Can I have extension 321? (extensions are internal numbers at a company)Could I speak to...? (Can I - more informal / May I - more formal)Is Jack in? (informal idiom meaning: Is Jack in the office? Connecting Someone If you answer the phone, you might need to connect the caller to someone at your business. Here are some useful phrases: Ill put you through (put through - phrasal verb meaning connect)Can you hold the line? Can you hold on a moment? When Someone Is Not Available These phrases can be used to express that someone is not available  to speak on the telephone. Im afraid ... is not available at the momentThe line is busy... (when the extension requested is being used)Mr. Jackson isnt in... Mr. Jackson is out at the moment... Taking a Message If someone isnt available, you might want to take a message to help the caller.   Could (Can, May) I take a message?Could (Can, May) I tell him who is calling?Would you like to leave a message? Continue practicing your skills by using the  practical exercises  below which include information on leaving messages on the telephone, how to ask  native speakers  to slow down, role plays on the telephone and more. Practice With a Role Play Begin by learning important telephone English with the dialogue below. Here is a short telephone conversation with some of the key phrases: Operator: Hello, Frank and Brothers, How can I help you?Peter: This is Peter Jackson. Can I have extension 3421?Operator: Certainly, hold on a minute, Ill put you through... Frank: Bob Petersons office, Frank speaking.Peter: This is Peter Jackson calling, is Bob in? Frank: Im afraid hes out at the moment. Can I take a message?Peter: Yes, Could you ask him to call me at ... I need to talk to him about the Nuovo line, its urgent. Frank: Could you repeat the number please?Peter: Yes, thats ..., and this is Peter Jackson. Frank: Thank you Mr. Jackson, Ill make sure Bob gets this asap.Peter: Thanks, bye. Frank: Bye. As you can see, the language is rather informal and there are some important differences from face-to-face conversational English.