Monday, 23rd March, 7.15-9.15 PM
“The rule by nobody is not necessarily no-rule; it may indeed … even turn out to be one of its cruelest and most tyrannical versions.” – Hannah Arendt
This month’s reading group is not only a follow-up to our conversations about the state’s new counter terrorism strategies and the expectations placed on teachers to cooperate with law enforcement, but also an introduction to the life and work of Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). Arendt was an unparalleled political thinker who wrote extensively about bureaucracy, administrative rule, and the wholly statistical outlook of modern society.
Arendt’s thought is not only helpful for understanding the banality through which power operates, but also lends itself to numerous radical ideas about education.
I have selected two excerpts that define numerous key concepts from her work. While you are reading, try to keep these terms in mind and make note of them in the text:
* the political
* the social
* the private & the public
The main question for our reading group will be:
How does *difference* (or diversity) constitute the political?
I have purposefully kept the readings short because I wanted to make sure that everyone would have an opportunity to read them. If anyone does not have enough time before our meeting, please have a quick look over the first text (“Introduction into Politics”) as it is less than four pages!
Readings here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vbzizb5csf8q0gi/radicaled_arendt.pdf?dl=0
Arendt, Hannah. “Introduction into Politics.” The Promise of Politics. New York: Schocken, 2005.
Arendt, Hannah. “The Rise of the Social.” The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1958.