Living substance conquers the frenzy of destruction only in the ecstasy of procreation.
Walter BenjaminRead
Uncleanness is so much the attribute of officials that one could almost regard them as enormous parasites...In the same way the fathers in Kafka's strange families batten on their sons, lying on top of them like giant parasites. They not only prey upon their strength, but gnaw away at the sons' right to exist. The fathers punish, but they are at the same time the accusers. The sin of which they accuse their sons seems to be a kind of original sin.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the corrupt nature of authority figures and their damaging impact on their subordinates, particularly within familial relationships.
Walter Benjamin's quote delves into the corrupt dynamic between authority figures and those they govern or influence, comparing officials to parasites that consume the vitality of their subordinates. He draws a parallel to familial relationships, specifically the oppressive nature of fathers who both accuse and punish their sons, thereby undermining their sons' existence and autonomy. This critique highlights the toxic influence of power that not only depletes strength but also distorts moral judgment, suggesting a deeper existential struggle against inherited guilt and oppression.
Themes
AuthorityParasitesOppressionFamilialCorruptionExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about corrupt leadership, you might cite this quote to highlight the negative effects of power on relationships.
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If mythic violence is lawmaking, divine violence is law-destroying; if the former sets boundaries, the latter boundlessly destroys them; if mythic violence brings at once guilt and retribution, divine power only expiates; if the former threatens, the latter strikes; if the former is bloody, the latter is lethal without spilling blood
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Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
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Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
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I am unpacking my library. Yes I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order.
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