Benjamin, Baudelaire and the "authentic tradition"

Abstract

The aim of this essay is to outline an inquiry into the meaning of Walter Benjamin’s concept of authentic tradition, starting from its relationship to the concept of modern beauty as described by Charles Baudelaire, an author of utmost importance to Benjamin. The modern revolution of time is a common fascination for these two authors, and each investigates it under a certain ‘secret identity’ and in a specific space they believe desirable or necessary –Baudelaire becoming the art critic in the context of showrooms, while Benjamin adopts the appearance of the ragman of history–, but always under the common image of a man who’s part of the crowd in the big city. From this common endeavor, we’ll try to understand why the German philosopher qualifies his concept of tradition as “authentic”.