The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt (Modernity and Political Thought) - Softcover

Benhabib, Seyla

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0803938179 ISBN 13: 9780803938175

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 1996

Synopsis

Interpreting the work of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt rereads Arendt′s political philosophy in the light of newly gained insights into the historico-cultural background of her work. Arguing against the standard interpretation of Hannah Arendt as an antimodernist lover of the Greek polis, author Seyla Benhabib contends that Arendt′s thought emerges out of a double legacy: German Existenz philosophy, and particularly the thought of Martin Heidegger, and her experiences as a German-Jewess in the age of totalitarianism. Beginning with a detailed examination of Arendt′s biography of Rahel Varnhagen, a German-Jewish salonniere of the 18th century, this important volume reconsiders Arendt′s theory of modernity, her concept of the public sphere, her distinction between the social and the political, her theory of totalitarianism, and her critique of the modern nation-state, including her lifelong involvement with Jewish and Israeli politics. Benhabib concludes that in illuminating the issues of this century we should think "with Arendt, contra Arendt." Examining the philosophy of one of the most intriguing figures in modern political theory, The Reluctant Modernism of Hannah Arendt will be an invaluable resource for students and professionals in political science, political theory, and comparative politics. "On the now quite long shelf of Hannah Arendt studies, only a few matter. This is the one!" --Elizabeth Young-Bruehl, Harvard College "A strikingly original interpretation of Hannah Arendt that brings into the foreground the significance of Arendt′s biography of Rahel Varnhagen, Arendt′s concern with Jewish politics, and her attempt to understand the emergence of totalitarianism. This provides the context for a fresh reading of The Human Mind and The Life of the Mind, as well as the complex relation between Arendt and Heidegger. Anyone interested in the recent resurgence of international interest in Arendt and her relevance for contemporary political thought will find Seyla Benhabib′s comprehensive and judicious analysis invaluable." --Richard J. Bernstein, Department of Philosophy, New School for Social Research, Eugene Lang College "Seyla Benhabib′s remarkable and nuanced book is the first to give Hannah Arendt′s ambivalent relationship to modernity the complex and critical assessment it deserves. Focusing on Arendt′s philosophical debt to Martin Heidegger as well as on her efforts to confront its failure by extending his insights to the political realm, Benhabib situates Arendt′s thinking at the crossroads between existential phenomenology and her experience as a Jewish exile in the age of totalitarianism. She demonstrates that Arendt′s work is most productively read as a rich reflection on the ways that the modern world gives rise to paradoxical experiences of the outsider and the insider and equality and difference, culminating the achievement of The Origins of Totalitarianism. Written with force and clarity, this study is indispensable for any serious encounter with Arendt′s thought." --Anson Rabinbach, Princeton University "A brilliant, historically sensitive and deeply sympathetic but not at all uncritical account of the entire range of Arendt′s thought. It weaves its way through Arendt′s personal experiences, philosophical influences, and cultural context with remarkable subtlety and ease. Few books on Arendt offer a more vivid and reliable account of the unity of her life and thought." --Bhikhu Parekh, Visiting Professor, Harvard University

About this title

About the Author

Seyla Benhabib is Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University, and director of the Program in Ethics, Politics, and Economics.

Review

It is difficult to do justice to the rich texture of Benhabib's argument and interpretation, which is a magisterial dialectic between modernity and existentialism, reformism and utopianism, and fundamentalism and perspectivalism. Benhabib's book remains one of the most stimulating of the recent spate of books on Arendt. (Women's Philosophy Review)

Benhabib's discussions. . . reflect a meticulous scholarship and a deep sensitivity to the texts which is a pleasure to read. (Political Studies Review)

On the now quite long shelf of Hannah Arendt studies, only a few matter. This is one. (Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Haverford College; author of Anna Freud: A Biography)

A brillant, historically sensitive and deeply sympathetic but not at all uncritical account of the entire range of Arendt's thought. It weaves its way through Arendt's personal experiences, philosophical influences, and cultural contexts with remarkable subtlety and ease. Few books on Arendt offer a more vivid and reliable account of the unity of her life and thought. (Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster)

Seyla Benhabib's remarkable and nuanced book is the first to give Hannah Arendt's ambivalent relationship to modernity the complex and critical assessment it deserves. Written with force and clarity, this study is indispensable for any serious encounter with Arendt's thought. (Anson Rabinbach, Princeton University)

A strikingly original interpretation of Hannah Arendt that brings into the foreground the significance of Arendt's biography of Rahel Varnhagen, Arendt's concern with Jewish politics, and her attempt to understand the emergence of totalitarianism. This provides the context for a fresh reading of The Human Condition and The Life of the Mind, as well as the complex relation between Arendt and Heidegger. Anyone interested in the recent resurgence of international interest in Arendt and her relevance for contemporary political thought will find Seyla Benhabib's comprehensive and judicious analysis invaluable. (Richard J. Bernstein, New School for Social Research)

Benhabib is an excellent guide to the uninitiated, offering context, central themes, and concise yet sophisticated philosophical analysis in accessible prose. (Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy)

Benhabib's great homage, which makes us familiar with Arendt's thought, has a paradoxical effect: one learns to appreciate the distance which is expressed in this sovereign interpretation. One will not be able to come closer to the philosophical hedgerose, Hannah Arendt (Die Zeit)

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803938179
• ISBN 13: 9780803938175
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288