Description

Hannah Arendt was, more than any other modern social thinker, preoccupied with understanding the meaning of politics and the conditions under which it is possible in the pluralistic world of our time. Alongside her investigations into the origins of totalitarianism and the human condition, it is her reflections on the political that have secured her status as one of the 20th century’s most significant political theorists.

This anthology contains ten essays, fragments and interviews by and with Arendt, all of which deal with politics in one way or another. Some of the texts focus on the concept of politics itself, whilst others address political phenomena and issues such as the situation of refugees, human rights, the concept of revolution, collective responsibility and civil disobedience. The book is framed by two interviews in which Arendt, in an accessible manner, outlines her general attitude towards politics whilst also taking a stance on various contemporary political issues. All in all, this volume broadens, deepens and adds nuance to the picture of Arendt’s original – and often provocative – approach to and theorising about politics.

In a lengthy introduction, the book’s editor, Anders Burman, provides a general overview of Arendt’s political thought and places the translated texts within a broader context.