One friendship that came to mind in thinking about this subject: Benjamin/ Brecht and the Benjamin-Brecht combination in contrast to the Benjamin-Scholem combination.
The WB-BB combination creates a kind of axis between two poles: the ponderer and master of allegorical detour vs the irreverence and brusque practicality of his friend. This is for WB the axis of a quite specific and necessary estrangement. There are conversations & thoughts which can take place only along this axis. There is a becoming which takes place noly along this axis.
Scholem is more like the vigilant friend, holding before the other the image of his best self and of a final destination. For him, the Brecht-Benjamin combination is disastrous, diverting his friend along paths contrary to his own singular bias and destiny.
Two ‘models’ of friendship are here. Scholem: one moves toward the pre-existing Concept of oneself. Brecht: one produces new ‘concepts’ of the self – new lines of thought - through entering into different combinations and configurations.
1 comment:
A pre-exising concept can well pose as a new one, while a new concept may in actual fact seem to have formed and lodged itself in the mind as a possibility prior to its taking full shape. I think your emphasis is on the inspirational aspect, which somehow transports one (I mean, your emphasis does so) to the realm of fictional friendships and passionate Holmesian gropings in the dark. V.Interesting, this angle, and not so elementary either. Moves one to wondering about what WB must have been to the other two (S & BB).
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