Hannah Arendt on Political Life

Professor Ellie Anderson, co-host of Overthink philosophy podcast, explains some key themes in Hannah Arendt's Human Condition and Origins of Totalitarianism, including the vita activa, the mass, terror, and ideologies.

This video was created for Professor Anderson's Spring 2021 "Continental Thought" course at Pomona College.

For more from Ellie, check out Overthink podcast!

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @overthink_pod

[XiangYu]

I’m a graduate student in public policy and I’ve never heard Arendt summarized so well! Yes, this is a concerning phenomenon and a lot of my studies are geared towards figuring out how to engage centrist voters before this entropy catches up to us all.

[arupkchatterjee]

Have been learning a lot from the Overthink Podcast.

[mikehanson]

Thank you for the clear discussion of two of her books that I had read quite a while ago. Of course, I also found the need to dive back into the Origins of Totalitarianism in recent years. Back in 1974, I had the good fortune to take a lecture course from Professor Arendt on The Life of the Mind.

[ratias]

Thank you, professor Anderson. This video has encouraged me to reread The origins of totalitarianism.

[a.e.jabbour]

As you yourself pointed out, and as many in these comments have also pointed out, the relevance of so many of these ideas to what we're experiencing right now, right here -- it's awfully scary. I keep coming right down to my base pessimism, and having no idea how to overcome it.

But this lecture was so enlightening. Thank you for brining many complex Ideas into very clear view. As usual! :)

[harisubramanian]

I wish I would have had a professor like you.... Your videos are so engaging... Came across a movie called The zone of interest - Hanneh arendt and Banality of evil came to my mind

[Pussaychop]

¡Arendt is still hotfire! Great class teach, im in for the course.

[BenIsFiguringitOut]

This video is absolutely describing where we are politically in the United States currently. Totalitarianism will always be possible because there are at least two conflicting visions of what the country should be, and I would argue that both major sides have given up on trying to find common ground. Thanks for another great video!

[jameskennedy]

Your best show yet . Outstanding presentation of complex and baffling behaviors by mixed up populations .

[newjawn]

That was excellent. I hope you do more publicly available lectures on Arendt.

[PapaSmurfnd]

Wow 20 seconds in. 🔥🔥🔥 already.

I hadn’t been able to conceptualize human condition vs. human nature. I’d long been skeptical of a lot of facets of so called human nature, but how you laid it out (before even explaining it in detail) was wonderful

[OchoaShelsea]

this video just made so much sense of the world for me holy shit

[sirnoobs]

your doing a better job then my prof on explaining all of this, thanks :3

[joestanford]

Very well done - nice job of explicating Arendt's 21st century relevance. I clicked the like button midway through watching it - by the end I wished I could click it again.

[aglaiaruffinojalles]

This is such a clear explanation! Really helped me in my political science studies! Thank you so much ! ❤

[artlessons]

Thanks once more for your philosophical craftsmanship.
I find what politics lack today is the Philosopher King . One who has collective knowledge!

[shyman]

Been reading a lot of Arendt lately, reading "Responsibility and Judgement" at the moment. This was very helpful and yeah, timely is one way of putting it.

[mumabird]

Thanks so much for this, Professor. I learned a lot.

[Eavvt]

Thank you, Professor Anderson, for this interesting elaboration for Arendt thoughts.

[hamedmoradi]

I like your articulate philosophical explanations.