"All that is solid melts into Air" a title borrowed from Marx, seems to be a rounding up of all the other texts we have read so far. The political theories, architectural theories, hopes/dreams/nightmares of architecture, development and modernism. The latter two being the main themes of the book.
I've found this text to be the most engaging so far, with Berman breaking down the "tragedy of development" into 3 metamorphosis; the dreamer, the lover and finally the developer. Berman uses Goethe's Faust to become each of these, being the detached , the sensual and then the steamroller - that sets out for self purpose, get out of the way or be destroyed.
The last is arguably the most interesting, as the economics, social and political thoughts begin to be conveyed. Faust looks at the sea and sees the potential for it to harnessed for the benefit of humans (but mostly himself), he is allowed to use slave labour in order to build this fresh new city and he turns a blind eye to the destruction and lives it cost to build it.
The "old world" is a phase that is continually repeated, possibly referring to the idea of the old system of the church being the supreme power. The power that holds people back from freedom, a freedom that Faust craves and trying to create.
The "Tragedy of development" is an apt projection of generally what this world is about, trial and error is a phrase we use all the time because generally that's how we learn and move forward. The greatest structures in the world were built with horrific methods (step forward Egyptian Pyramids), even now the stadiums in Brazil for the FIFA world cup killed six people in construction and yet more media coverage has been about the "death pool" England have been drawn in. Development is tragic.
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