The Origins of Totalitarianism

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was a political theorist and philosopher. Born in Germany, Arendt, who was Jewish, was forced to flee after being arrested and imprisoned for researching antisemitism in Germany. Arendt spent six years living in Paris before moving to the United States; she was naturalized as an American citizen in 1951. Before fleeing Germany, Arendt had an affair with her teacher Martin Heidegger, who later joined the Nazi party. Arendt’s works are largely influenced by the philosophical teachings of Heidegger, although Arendt condemned his work with the Nazi party. 

Arendt devoted the rest of her life to thinking, researching, and teaching. Arendt’s first book The Origins of Totalitarianism was published in 1951 and solidified her reputation as an important thinker about issues of power.

Arendt’s works are not without controversy. Her coverage of the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann sparked outrage. In her 1963 book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, Arendt claimed that Eichmann’s actions did not come from innate evil but rather out of a failure to think critically about his actions, e.g., “following orders,” “doing his job.” Despite these controversies, Arendt left a profound legacy, and her works continue to influence political and philosophical thought.