This summer I will join 15 colleagues from around the country for 5 weeks at Bard College to study the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt, as part of an NEH Summer Seminar. We will be reading The Origins of Totalitarianism, The Human Condition, Eichmann in Jerusalem, and several of Arendt’s essays, such as “We Refugees,” “Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship,” “The Crisis in Education,” “Reflections on Little Rock,” and “The Jew as Pariah.” We will be guided through Arendt’s life and work by the seminar director Kathleen B. Jones, Roger Berkowitz (Bard College), Danielle Celermajer (University of Sydney), Ange-Marie Hancock (University of Southern California). The close investigative readings of these texts will provide me with an opportunity to explore Arendt’s conception of human dignity, which will be the focus of my dissertation, and to investigate the extent to which her conception was influenced by the existentialism of Karl Jaspers. My intention is to post daily reflections on the readings and discussions related to the seminar, which will meet each weekday. These blog entries will begin next Monday, June 25.
John–Very nice to see this announcement and to read of your intentions to post daily reflections. it occurs to me that we can invite all members of the seminar to your blog and also perhaps to post “round-robin” on my NEH Arendt blog!
That sounds like a great idea, Kathy!
Excited to hear what you learn and discover!
Thank you, Hannah!