Final answer:
Walter Benjamin warned that photography might detract from the authenticity of suffering by stripping away the 'aura' of original scenes, even as it has the potential to democratize art and reveal societal injustices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Walter Benjamin's critical views on photography have significantly contributed to the understanding of its impact on society and representations of suffering. Benjamin's theory, presented in his essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," suggests that while photography has the potential to democratize art, it also bears the risk of diminishing the 'aura' of original works by reproducing them en masse. His concerns highlight a paradox in the potential for photographs to simultaneously document and detract from the authenticity of experiences, particularly in the context of war and social strife. This tension is evident when considering the work of photographers like Dorothea Lange, whose images of American internment camps during World War II sought to reveal societal injustices. Yet these photographs were initially suppressed and only published posthumously, showing the struggle between capturing genuine suffering and the power structures that may attempt to conceal it.