Abstract
The idea of rescuing the voice of the vanquished, a task that Benjamin declares urgent and indispensable in his Theses on the Philosophy of History, can be traced back to an early interest in the colonization of America. An example of this interest, translated for this article, can be found in Benjamin’s review Marcel Brion, Bartolomé de Las Casas. Father of the Indians. My paper reconstructs the circumstances under which this text was produced and indicates possible readings that allow us to relate it to other ideas that Benjamin elaborated throughout his life on language, justice and history. In addition, the article attempts to clarify what it means to “save the voices of the vanquished” and the problems that this idea has in the colonial context. Following the method used by the author himself, this paper uses the technique of montage, placing biographical moments and texts, looking to illuminate an edge not that well-known in Benjamin’s work.
Keywords:
Walter Benjamin; Postcolonial Theory; History; Justice; Language