Historical Context
Scholem, who is quoted in Theses, suggested that the cryptic essay's seemingly definitive rejection of Marxist historical materialism in favor of a return to the theology and metaphysics of Benjamin's earlier writings came after Benjamin recovered from the deep shock he felt following the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact when the Marxist-Leninist Soviet Union and Fascist, anti-Semitic Germany, previously bitter rivals, announced a non-aggression pact.
Scholar Mark Lilla wrote that Benjamin "had remained stubbornly, irresponsibly silent" during Joseph Stalin's atrocities and show trials of the 1930s, even when millions were dying and his erstwhile lover Asja Lacis was imprisoned. In Theses, Lilla argues that Benjamin's disillusionment with the consequences of revolutionary violence is apparent after having previously celebrated "the destructive character," a single-minded persona who smashes bourgeois tradition.
Read more about this topic: Theses On The Philosophy Of History
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