Reintroducing Hannah Arendt connects Arendt’s philosophical and political thought to social theory and the social sciences in the 21st century, as individuals experience profound social, political, and technological change. Though classifying herself as a political theorist sceptical of sociology and the social sciences, Arendt’s critique of mass society shares much in common with perennial themes in social theory. Indeed, her reflections on the importance of the world and the power of stories, the prevalence of loneliness and alienation, statelessness, cynicism in politics, antisemitism, imperialism, totalitarianism, and the banality of evil mark her as one of the most original and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Reintroducing Hannah Arendt links her focus on the unprecedented nature of totalitarianism with the importance of plurality, birth, freedom, responsibility, and new beginnings. In addition to outlining central themes in her published work, Siobhan Kattago argues for the acuity of Hannah Arendt’s insights for understanding our century of polarised politics, post-truth, artificial intelligence, social media, and echo chambers. The volume will thus appeal to scholars and students of sociology, philosophy, social theory, and politics with interests in the thought of Hannah Arendt and its enduring significance.
