The fascination of the polis
Enticed by the polis. On the anti-democratic elements in the thought of Hannah Arendt.
Keywords:
Hannah Arendt, political theory, antidemocratism, social contradictionsAbstract
The article submits Hannah Arendt’s understanding of politics to a symptomatic reading. It is shown that her political thought includes important antidemocratic elements. However, these elements cannot be perceived directly, because they are determined by the form of her philosophical discourse. Contrary to most secondary literature commenting on Arendt’s work, the article argues that these antidemocratic elements are a central part of her philosophical and political thought. Arendt argues repeatedly that oppressed groups are not suited for taking part in politics. The article demonstrates that Arendt’s theoretical discourse systematically hides societal contradictions by rearticulating them as questions of moral competence. In particular, the article concentrates on the relationship between politics and the economy in her thought.
