Hannah Arendt Flashcards
What are the main books of Arend?
origin on totalitarianism (1951) → treating communism and nazism as equals. both totalitarian system of thought that should be criticized.
the human condition (1958) → vita activa and vita contemplativa. Were contrasted by the classical thinkers. Agreed that vita had to be virtues, but virtue comes in 2 types: virtue of character and virtue of the mind (epistemic).
These two virtues cannot be developed completely and perfectly. why? politica (character)l: engage with people, be active. Philosophical (mind): be alone, think a lot. Which of these two ones are the better one? Arendt wrote about vita active, and then about the life of the mind (contemplativa)
eichmann in jerusalem (1963) -> Report on the banality of evil.
What are the main books of Arend?
origin on totalitarianism (1951) → treating communism and nazism as equals. both totalitarian system of thought that should be criticized.
the human condition (1958) → vita activa and vita contemplativa. Were contrasted by the classical thinkers. Agreed that vita had to be virtues, but virtue comes in 2 types: virtue of character and virtue of the mind (epistemic).
These two virtues cannot be developed completely and perfectly. why? politica (character)l: engage with people, be active. Philosophical (mind): be alone, think a lot. Which of these two ones are the better one? Arendt wrote about vita active, and then about the life of the mind (contemplativa)
eichmann in jerusalem (1963) -> Report on the banality of evil.
What is the report on the banality of evil abot?
Arnold Eichmann. was called a Schreibtischmörder (desk murderer). Arendt wrote a book about the court case of Eichmann ‘eichmann in Jerusalem’
- Claimed Eichmann was just a man that did his job, not necessarily evil, even though he worked in a mass genocide. Just an ordinary guy. Saw the banality of evil in this court case. Eichmann not so special.
- Criticized by people, claimed that she tried to make the holocaust smaller than it was.
“just doing his job”
What is the Human conditon accoridng by Arendt?
about the vita activa (public/political life).
has three parts: - Labor, work and action.
What is the diffrence between Labor and work?
Labor: ongoing job of production in a way that never ends. production goes on and
on and you’re a part of it. to pay for biological necessities for livelihood
- work: is the process of making something. not ongoing, has a beginning and an end.
For example: you want to make a table, you buy all the tools. You start the process
and finish it at some point when the table is finished (or painting, poem, book etc).
put pride in the table. Greeks called this poiesis (process of making something. you
have raw materials, and you give it a shape until it’s your product, plato).
What is action ?
Vita activa in more specific sense. this is the life of politics, including speech.
Speaking out in protest, making public statement. You become a citizen and you
speak out about political issues.
- Poiesis = making
- Praxis = doing. Politics is a praxis
What is the modern man according by Arendt?
a homo faber → person only included in labor. live in the job, job is everything for you, leaves no time for
anything, let alone politics. People have become consuming and producing animals, living only for labor. Labor is becoming so big that it crowds out work and action. Citizenship (action) at danger, no time to be politically active. Craftsmanship (work) also at danger.
What is the public en private realm realtion?
Public realm (political life, citizenship) is overtaken by the private realm. Both realms are taken by the social realm, which is the modern state. Citizens cannot be active if they are not involved in a state.
What are the ORIGINS OF TOTALITARIANISM?
- Anti-semitism Anti-semitism is not new, just the
execution of jews is new. - ‘’imperialism’’ (not merely conquest).’’ → Imperialism is not new, but the attend to
attain world domination and exploiting the parts that you have conquered is new. - The result of two above: ‘’totalitarianism (not merely dictatorship) - one after the
other, one more brutal than the other,’’ → Totalitarianism is new. - ‘’have demonstrated that human dignity needs a new guarantee which can be found
only in a new political principle, in a new law on earth, whose validity this time must
comprehend the whole of humanity’’ → what we need here is a new law on earth,
international law, to protect inherent dignity of human beings. Not just a part, but all
human beings. Encompassing system of international law.
What are e characteristics of totalitaianism?
Turns classes and other groups into masses: in marxism you have different classes.
totalitarianism erases the distinction of classes, and turns entire people in one big
mass with little shape, that is guided and steered by leaders.
- Involves indifferent, unengaged people: people detached and unengaged from public
life. People who don’t care about the public (political) life. Only interested in their own life. This doesn’t exist in totalitarianism society. everyone become politically active,
mobilised by the movement. become part of the bigger whole.
No room for ‘idiotas’ (aristotle): a citizen detaching himself living his own life, not interested in politics and
public life.
- Replaces party system by a mass movement: 19th century and early 20th seen big parties (labour party, christian democrats, conservatives etc). Have mobilised a lot of
people, but still a lot of opposition. There was a party system where parties competed and cooperated, a game played among parties. However, in totalitarian systems the
party system replaced by mass movement. entire mass mobilized for a cause. - gets rid of party program: leader and leadership can change course and decide what to do. not bound by a party program.
- is even supported by the elite: would expect that the elites would remain critical against totalitarian movement. however they’re not.
- mixes gullibility (or sympathizers) and cynicism (of members): for instance, hitler agrees to munich deal in 1938. the members (nazis) know he is lying, but too cynical, just accept the lies. part of the deal. Sympathizers are naive (gullible) enough to believe him.
- sees politics as a game of cheating, even on ideology: totalitarian government is not consistent on principles of their ideology. for example: communism, we abolish private property, but this didn’t happen. elites got a lot of private property
- no moderation in power: remain fanatic and become more fanatic over time.
- is not at all utilitarian/calculative, neglects national interest: don’t try to do prudent thing for national interest. germans kept spending money on killing jews, even though they could use the money better on winning the war. didn’t even care about winning the war anymore, just wanted to kill the jews.
- relies on power of organization: the strong organizations, power of an elite group (like
SS). these are very strong. - uses camps to promote both fanaticism and apathy → to train people in fanaticism
and create apathy and fear in wider population. arendt even says Totalitarian cannot
do without camps to maintain level of fear and fanaticism required.
What is Totalitarianism is opposed to?
- individualism, initiative, conviction, spontaneity and even rules.
IS TOTALITARIANISM A NEW TYPE?
- classical tyranny: aristotle describes. simple straightforward tyranny → one vs. all
- Tocqueville about modern, democratic tyranny: tyranny of the majority. Many vs. few.
many outvote the few.
Soft despotism → all over each, mildly. public opinion over each individual. you don’t
think for yourself, you become a sheep guided by a sheppard (state). but it’s done
mildly. pushing people in the right direction. - Totalitarianism is a combination of all this: one + few + all vs. each, and harshly. The
problem is the relationship between the one (leader), few (elite) and all (people).
Something the world hasn’t seen before.
Reconstruction of Patrick Overeem, not Arendt.
What is arendt’s postive program?
- citizenship: politics, acting (positive) freedom, in local communities. Wants people to
become citizens, engage actively in politics. Being free is to be active as citizen, take
responsibility. Preferably in local communities. cannot do this in mass scale, but in
local small community citizenship means something → hence she is often called
republican, greek/civic republicanism. - rule of law: ‘’to abolish the fences of laws between men - as tyranny does - means to
take away men’s liberties and destroy freedom as a living political reality; for the
space between men as it is hedged in by laws, is the living space of freedom’’ →
people should be kept apart by laws. not individualism, we want community. but
people should be protected by laws. The laws ‘separates’ the people, because they
can be free, but they have to cooperate. - Natality: ‘’with each new birth, a new beginning is born into the world, a new world
has potentially come into being’’ → people are born some point and die someday. we
are mortal, and everytime a new human being is born, a whole new world starts for
that person. future is open, not determined by leaders or systems. This is just a
source of hope. Natality isn’t something you can do much about, but it helps, opens
up the future, have freedom again.
