Arendt's Disappointments and Our New Beginnings - by Peter Iver Kaufman (Hardcover)

About the Book

Explores the legacies of Hannah Arendt's redefinition of political practice and recommendation of alternative public realms.

Book Synopsis

Hannah Arendt's recurring disenchantment with conventional political discourses, protocols and practices led her to redefine politics and recommend alternative public realms. Her repeated emphases on freedom, plurality (or pluralism), critique, agonistic exchanges, natality (or new beginnings), equality and the virtuosity of citizen-statesmen, contribute to a reimagination of democracy that bears on current crises facing political progressives. Arendt was ambiguous at times, yet invariably discerning, prescient and radical. Her adaptation of the pariah's perspective allowed her to proffer telling analyses of her times and, strangely, of ours.

Review Quotes

Kaufman reinvigorates Arendt's thought to offer a bold reimagining of democracy for our age. Through insightful critique and passionate scholarship, this work challenges readers to embrace citizenship anew, pushing beyond disillusionment to realize Arendt's enduring vision of freedom and collective responsibility in a fractured political landscape. Essential for our times!--Jana Mader, Bard College