The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt

Interpreting the work of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, __The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt__ rereads Arendt's political philosophy in light of newly gained insights into the historico-cultural background of her work. Arguing against the standard interpretation of Hannah Arendt as an anti-modernist lover of the Greek polis, author Seyla Benhabib contends that Arendt's thought emerges out of a double legacy: German Existenz philosophy, particularly the thought of Martin Heidegger, and her experiences as a German-Jewess in the age of totalitarianism. This important volume reconsiders Arendt's theory of modernity, her concept of the public sphere, her distinction between the social and the political, her theory of totalitarianism, and her critique of the modern nation state, including her life long involvement with Jewish and Israeli politics. Interpreting the work of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt rereads Arendt's political philosophy in the light of newly gained insights into the historico-cultural background of her work. Arguing against the standard interpretation of Hannah Arendt as an anti-modernist lover of the Greek polis, author Seyla Benhabib contends that Arendt's thought emerges out of a double legacy: German Existenz philosophy, particularly the thought of Martin Heidegger, and her experiences as a German-Jewess in the age of totalitarianism. This important volume reconsiders Arendt's theory of modernity, her concept of the public sphere, her distinction between the social and the political, her theory of totalitarianism, and her critique of the modern nation-state, including her lifelong involvement with Jewish and Israeli politics. Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface to the New Edition 10 Series Editor's Introduction 24 Introduction: Why Hannah Arendt? 38 1 The Pariah and Her Shadow: Hannah Arendt's Biography of Rahel Varnhagen 54 2 Jewish Politics and German "Existenz Philosophy": The Sources of Hannah Arendt's Thought 88 3 The Destruction of the Public Sphere and the Emergence of Totalitarianism 115 4 The Dialogue With Martin Heidegger: Arendt's Ontology of The Human Condition 155 5 The Art of Making and Subverting Distinctions: With Arendt, Contra Arendt 176 6 From the Problem of Judgment to the Public Sphere: Rethinking Hannah Arendt's Political Theory 225 Appendix: The Personal is not the Political 274 Bibliography 288 Index 302 About the Author 314 Benhabib discusses the political thought of Hannah Arendt, including Arendt's text on Rahel Vernhagen, her confrontation with Zionist politics and her theory of totalitarianism, in the light of newly gained insights into the context of her work