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Hannah Arendt

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Hannah Arendt

Aliases: Johanna Arendt / Hannah Arendt Bluecher
Pen Names:

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1906-10-14 （Linden (Hannover), Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire）
Died
1975-12-04 （New York City, U.S.） age 69
Nationality
Prussia (German Empire), Stateless, United States
Languages
German, English, French, Hebrew (basic)
Religion
Judaism (secular)
Residence History
Linden (Hannover) → Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) → Berlin, Germany → Marburg, Germany → Freiburg, Germany → Heidelberg, Germany → Paris, France → Montauban, France → Lisbon, Portugal → New York City, U.S. → Kingston / near Bard College (New York State) → Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (burial / related)

Career

Occupations
philosopher, political theorist, historian, writer/essayist, academic/lecturer
Active Years
1929-1975
Affiliations
University of Chicago (Committee on Social Thought, etc.), Yale University (fellow), The New School (Professor of Political Philosophy), Princeton University (visiting), Bard College (associated; Arendt Collection), Jewish Cultural Reconstruction / Commission on European Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Schocken Books (editor)
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Letters
Influenced By
Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, Saint Augustine, Rainer Maria Rilke (literary influence)
Influenced
Judith Butler (contemporary political theory), Seyla Benhabib (political theory), Scholars of civic republicanism and contemporary political theory

Education

University of Berlin (audited)
Classics / Christian theology (audited)
Period: 1922–1923 (聴講)
Country: Germany
Attended/audited courses; not a formal degree
University of Marburg
Philosophy / Theology / Classics
Period: 1924–1926
Country: Germany
Studied with Heidegger and others
University of Freiburg
Philosophy
Period: 1926 (学期在籍)
Country: Germany
Attended lectures including Husserl's circle
University of Heidelberg
Philosophy
Degree: PhD
Period: 1926–1929
Year of Graduation: 1929
Country: Germany
PhD (1929). Dissertation: Love and Saint Augustine

Awards

Sonning Prize (for Contributions to European Civilization)
1975
Organization: Sonning Foundation
Result: 受賞
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1962
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result: 選出
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
1964
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: 選出

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Origins of Totalitarianism

1951 political theory / history 704 pages

A foundational analysis of twentieth-century totalitarian movements (Nazism and Stalinism), treating antisemitism, imperialism, and totalitarianism as central themes.

totalitarianismantisemitismpower and ideologyterror and violence
Translations
  • The Origins of Totalitarianism

The Human Condition

1958 political philosophy 416 pages

Examines the distinctions between labor, work, and action and develops an account of the public realm and political action (vita activa).

vita activanatalitypublicnesspolitical action
Translations
  • The Human Condition

Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil

1963 report / political theory 294 pages

Based on reporting of the Eichmann trial; develops the controversial thesis of the 'banality of evil' and examines responsibility and thoughtlessness in bureaucratic crime.

banality of evilresponsibilitythinking and judgmenttrial and justice
Translations
  • Eichmann in Jerusalem

Rahel Varnhagen: The Life of a Jewess

1957 biography / history 400 pages

A biographical study of Rahel Varnhagen that explores assimilation, Jewish identity, and destiny in German-Jewish culture.

assimilationJewish identitybiography/autobiography intersection
Translations
  • Rahel Varnhagen

The Life of the Mind

1978 philosophy (unfinished) 240 pages

An unfinished trilogy on thinking, willing, and judging; posthumously edited and published.

thinkingwillingjudgingconscience
Translations
  • The Life of the Mind

Bibliography

  • Love and Saint Augustine (dissertation, 1929)
  • The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)
  • The Human Condition (1958)
  • Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963)
  • Rahel Varnhagen (1957)
  • The Life of the Mind (1978, posthumous)

Adaptations

  • Hannah Arendt (film)
  • Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (documentary)

Translations of Works

  • The Origins of Totalitarianism (Japanese translation)
  • The Human Condition (Japanese translation)
  • Eichmann in Jerusalem (Japanese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
interdisciplinary, essayistic stylecrosses history and philosophyclear and argumentative prose
Recurring Motifs
banality of evilnatality (birth / new beginning)amor mundi (love of the world)public realm and political actionresponsibility and judgment

Health

  • heavy smoker
    生涯を通じて
    Contributed to cardiovascular risk. Near-fatal heart attack in 1974 and fatal heart attack in 1975.
  • heart attack
    1974（重篤）–1975（致命的）
    Suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1974, recovered partially, died of a heart attack in 1975.

Legacy

Recognized as one of the leading political theorists of the twentieth century. Her insights on totalitarianism, responsibility, and the public realm continue to influence political theory, refugee studies, and debates about truth in public life. The controversy around her Eichmann reporting remains a central element of her legacy.

Museums

  • Hannah Arendt Center (Bard College) Bard College (New York State)
  • Hannah Arendt Archive (Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg) Oldenburg, Germany Opened in 1999

Academic Societies

  • Hannah Arendt associations (various)
  • Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thinking

Archives

  • The Hannah Arendt Papers at the Library of Congress
  • Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
  • Stevenson Library, Bard College (personal library collection)

In Popular Culture

  • Hannah Arendt (film, 2012, dir. Margarethe von Trotta)
  • Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (documentary, 2015)
  • Portrayals in TV series such as Transatlantic
  • Murals and plaques quoting her (e.g. 'No one has the right to obey')

Quotes

  • No one has the right to obey (Niemand hat das Recht zu gehorchen)
    Source: Interview with Joachim Fest (1964) (1964)
  • He was terribly and terrifyingly normal (on Eichmann)
    Source: Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963)

Trivia

  • Reportedly the first woman appointed to a full professorship at Princeton (1959, visiting/full professor distinctions apply)
  • Longtime heavy smoker; died of a heart attack in 1975
  • Popularized the phrase 'the banality of evil' through reporting on the Eichmann trial