Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) was a German-born political theorist and philosopher who later moved to the United States and wrote on totalitarianism, authority, and responsibility.

Born 1906, died 1975; of German-Jewish origin; author of influential works on totalitarianism and the Eichmann trial (often titled The Banality of Evil / Eichmann in Jerusalem).

A close reading of Arendt's account of the Eichmann trial that highlights questions of individual responsibility and the role of state institutions. The review praises Arendt's lucid chronicle while raising critical doubts about the trial's fairness. It treats the book as both historical reportage and philosophical reflection. The reviewer assigns a top rating while acknowledging unresolved moral complexities.

For:Readers interested in philosophy, political theory, Holocaust studies, and modern history.

 Writing "The Banality of Evil" Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), a philosopher, and political theorist of German-Jewish origin who later moved to the United States, left us both a lucid chronicle of one of the most important trials of the '900s and, at the same time, a broader reflection on the origins of the totalitarian state and its inevitable deviations, the first of all, for obvious historical contingency, the Holocaust.

  Discover the review
You and Hannah Arendt
Who knows Hannah Arendt?
Loading...