Every theory has its own biography. Hannah Arendt's work on totalitarianism was born from her experiences as a German Jew, exiled from her own country. Central to her nonconformist thought is the notion of pariah, inspiring a political philosophy in which she seeks to reconcile intellectual freedom with political commitment. Behind this philosophy lies a humanist anthropology whose nucleus is a conception of shared human experience, the diversity of which resides precisely in an original creative freedom. As a result, her work challenges exclusive identities and borders - products of the modern nation state - and in place proposes a civic culture and a form of justice transcending national limits.
Hanna Arendt; Nationalism; Authoritarianism; Totalitarianism