This document provides an overview of Hannah Arendt's major works and key concepts including her rejection of subject-object dichotomies in favor of intersubjectivity, her emphasis on expressive and communicative action, and concepts of natality and the importance of space for new political beginnings. It also summarizes her views on anti-foundationalism in philosophy and politics, and how totalitarianism can be countered through collective political action and the human capacity for new beginnings.

1. Dr Craig Hammond (UCBC)
Hannah Arendt,
1906-1975
Modernity to
Postmodernity:
Week Four

2. Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)

3. MAJOR WORKS
The Jew as Pariah: A Hidden Tradition
(1944).
The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951).
The Human Condition (1958).
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the
Banality of Evil (1963).
On Revolution (1963).
On Violence (1970).
The Life of the Mind (1975).

4. Ar e n d t : Ba s i c
Co n c e p t s
• Self / concert
– Subject > Subject (not Subject ↔ Object)
• Expressive Action
• Communicative Action
• Freedom & Space
• Natality
• Totalitarianism

5. THINKING WITHOUT A BANISTER

6. ANTI-FOUNDATIONALISM
According to Arendt philosophy is not about
epistemology, but about politics (vita activa:
active life).
Many philosophers impose their standards of
truth upon politics.
This totalitarian way of thinking negates the
plurality of lifestyles and cultures.
Therefore, thinking without a banister
(Denken ohne Geländer)
 means that there is not a fixed foundation upon
which to base thinking.

7. Subject > Subject > Subject > Subject
• Central to Arendt’s framework, is a
replacement of the traditional distinction
between the subject-object dichotomy
• She attempts to sketch out a distinctive and
humanistic alternative: One of inter-
subjectivity or a subject-subject approach.
– What do you understand buy this?

8. Subject > Subject > Subject > Subject
• For Arendt, the “self” (subject) remains a
separate entity, but when individuals are
brought together…
• … within an arena of freedom – they can unite
to achieve unprecedented collective action
• Emphasising the human ability not just to act,
but to act in concert.

9. Vita Activa: Active Life
• The pluralistic-diversity of human character, gives
rise to the challenge of establishing a coherent and
yet “free” community
• The possibility of community is never simply given
or essential to human beings but must, rather, be
built by speech and action.”
• To begin to move towards a new political
environment, Arendt argues that two types of
political action should be nurtured:

10. Vita Activa: Active Life
1. Expressive action - is an “agonistic” (or struggle) model which
is quite existentialist in nature. Action within this model is
concerned with an exploration of within – a process of self-
discovery.
2. Communicative (or narrative) action – suggests a democratic
organisation of collective-selves, people communicating
externally to others – creating the ideas for a new
community.

11. Natality
• And space

12. Natality & Space
• Central to Arendt’s promotion of a new
Political “Action” is the idea of Birth (or
natality). The space that serves to create new
forms of expression and action, also serves to
“give birth” to a new politics.
• In Arendt’s opinion, a sign of “modern times”
is that we have forgotten the genuine
“natality” of political action

13. Totalitarianism
• Totalitarian regimes can be remedied by the action of
freedom - announcing human birth, and the capacity for
beginning again.
• When a human acts politically (in concert, in revolution), they
enlarge the field of political experience, and create the reality
of freedom.
• The initiator of action experiences a kind of “second birth”
and takes their place on the stage of the public world