Hannah Arendt

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Hannah Arendt
Born
Johanna Arendt

14 October 1906
Linden, German Empire
Died4 December 1975
New York City, New York, United States


Hannah Arendt (14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975) was a German-born political theorist who wrote The Origins of Totalitarianism. Unlike Karl Popper, she described "totalitarianism" as an entirely modern concept.[1]

The Origins of Totalitarianism

The first two parts of The Origins of Totalitarianism, written in 1946, criticize French antisemitism and British imperialism and praise the Soviet Union for eliminating antisemitism.

The third part of the book, written in 1951, is strongly anti-communist. It describes the Soviet Union as "totalitarian" while rejecting that label for fascist Italy, Spain, and Portugal and barely even mentioning Japan. It also uses racist stereotypes of "Oriental despotism" to describe India and China and condemns the French Revolution.[1]

References