Essays in Understanding,
1930-1954
“Words used for the purpose of fighting lose their quality of speech; they become clichés. The extent to which clichés have crept into our everyday language and discussions may well indicate the degree to which we not only have deprived ourselves of the faculty of speech, but are ready to use more effective means of violence than bad books (and only bad books can be good weapons) with which to settle our arguments.” ― Hannah Arendt, Essays in Understanding, 1930-1954
This collection of essays addresses a broad range of subjects from Augustine to Kierkegaard and beyond, with examinations of existentialism which are enriched by her personal connections to both Jaspers and Heidegger. One of the most important group of essays addresses the titular subject of understanding itself. While addressing questions such as what is the proper basis for morality when faced with "the breakdown of its structure", she uses a thought process that I found not dissimilar to that of Ludwig Wittgenstein in his Philosophical Investigations.
She also considered the concept of "balance of power" both with regard to relations between nation states, but even more important she addresses the balance of power between branches of our constitutional government as based on the writings of Montesquieu among others. In addition she discusses the issue of fear in tyranny to which I would immediately draw comparisons with the thought of Machiavelli. This leads to raising questions like what is the nature of the "double standard "status of man as both citizen and individual".
One element that holds all of the essays together is the deep thinking of Arendt herself. This is evident in her method that continually goes back to the source of the issues and ideas under consideration referencing classical philosophy and religion where relevant. It is this deep thinking that makes this collection of essays essential for our consideration of how to understand the politics and ideological issues of the twenty-first century.
4 comments:
I must read her at some point. Her work on totalitarianism is often quoted.
Hi James, I have never read Hannah Arendt but I did read a group biography called Sharp of six prominent women who came of age as writers and thinkers before the 1970's women's movement and Hannah Arendt was included. She had a rightening and difficult life living in Germany in the 1930's and watching people she had been friends and colleagues with join the Nazi Party. According to the book I read she never completely trusted intellectuals or intellectualism after that because so many people she had been colleagues with and close to threw their principles aside when Hitler came to power. I think Hannah Arendt would have alot to teach us today about demagogues and strongmen because they seem to be on the rise everywhere.
Stephen,
Origins is her seminal work and I would recommend it to any serious reader like yourself. I read it several years ago and hope to reread it. Her essays are a good introduction, difficult but worth persevering.
Kathy,
Thanks for your biographical comments. Her life was difficult from the time she was briefly incarcerated by the Nazis to seeing her mentor and lover, Heidegger, become a Nazi sympathizer. Her essays are a good introduction to her thought.
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