Hannah Arendt

Tuesday March 10th 2015

believed that politics is important- no duh
It was important to participate in political realm because it
provided highest form of happiness
Politics- understand the political in the sense of the polis, the
polis originates from this, two concepts,
o Labour work and action- not merely different forms of
activity, they comprise the scale of achievement of higher
levels of consciousness and a higher level of humanity.
labour an activity in which man enjoys herd like
level of consciousness, with this only concerned with
basic sustenance it leaves nothing behind. Its results
is not long lasting.
Work man arrives at a level of self- consousness,
he or she is aware of themselves as a subject and
identifies objects that work with. it is still a world of
things not a world of other human interactions
because one does not interact with other humans
only in the context of a market relationship.
*(Aristotle) neither labour or work fulfills life and does
not posses dignity, humans are not autonomous in
this
Labour is now lifted out of a private realm and
acquires a dignity that it did not before.
Action belongs to the public realm pg 19
o Private and Public realm of action
public realm is needed to recognize greatness
only individual who engage in labour and work can
be called truly happy
The source of value and meaning of existence can be found only
in action itself.
Relates to Nitschez in the sense of her romanticizing of the hero.
an unqualified admiration of Achilles he is the embodiment of
political virtue, and opposing this is the ense of the mass. Within
the mass there is no room for greatness, all the same drone like
and easy for totalitarianism
to create a great deed, and create immortality one needs to die
young.
She argues the essence of who we are comes into being when
life departs leaving behind a story or record. Who ever
concouisly aims at leaving behind a story or identity and win
immortal fame must not only risk his life but choose a short life
and premature death. pg 173-180

Death means that no one can take the greatness of the act from
the individual.
Arendt also argues though that you do not hand politics to the
superman, and the goals are not identical to the will to power
Three basic assumption of human condition
o man is distinguished from all creation due to his quest for
immortality
o assumption that this desire can only be desired through
action
o action must take place before a peer group of spectators
who can transmit the action
The highest form of action is politics ( in the sense of ancienct
greeks)
the problem with western tradition is that ever since plato there
as been a tendency to confuse rule with authority. This as proven
fatal to liberty and the very existence of political activity.
Rule is a pre-political relationship, it implies a division of the
community, those who command and those ewho obey.
This tradition is a series of attempts to escape from politics, she
says there as to be a realm of greatness and politics, one where
you are judged by your peers that greatnes can be achieved.
With the idea of rule, Arendt proposes authority, Unlike rule it is a
relationship between equals. each of whom initiates action and
then seeks supports to help them carry through. Following in
roussoues footsteps
Freedom provided by representatives institutions consist of no
more than a series of negative
true opinion can be formed in the process of open discussion,
and only in a society of public realm where genuine equality
prevails
Instead we have a universal emphasis on a false form of equality
because this one is based of conformity, where behavior replaces
action. Behaviour becomes the formost mode of human
interaction.
True equality is based on a fiercely agonal spirit
Arendt is opposed to formalism.
Consent for her is a control mechanism. and this will to live
together
If promises are not kept anarchy might result and she tries to
solve this
o ideal society will be sufficiently harmonious guaranteed by
lack of selfishness and self interest instead guided by
solidarity.

o super political savior is one who can stop conflicts is the

legislator (rousue) for ardent it is the intellectual. The
intellectual enters neutral into the political arena to report
the truth.
o They will be confronted by the liar, a man of action
dedicated to shaping the world inline with his perverted
vision
o The intellectual will likely encounter lying in an organized
place
That all reduces the political worl into black and white, good and
bod , truth tellers and liars. Such a division naturally predisposes
that there is a right awnser on all major moral and political
issues. This beiieve does not contribute to an atmosphere where
debate is encouraged.