On Walter Benjamin’s World and Time

Abstract

Walter Benjamin thus defines the current social order as a manifestation of demonic forces with the rule of the current profane order under the Prince of this world Satan. The divine is thus not vested in the current order but in revolution towards the world to come with the inversion of the hierarchy where the first will be last and the last will be first. Benjamin argues that in this world divine power is higher than divine powerlessness as religious power does not liberate the weak at present but in the world to come the weak will be strong and will be more powerful than those who are currently powerful in a religious hierarchy. The weak and poor will be set free with the coming of the Messiah who will invert social organizations and class systems.