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Cover of The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt

The Human Condition

  • 368 pages · about 6 hours
  • First published 1958
  • 42 editions

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1 About this book

A work of striking originality bursting with unexpected insights, The Human condition is in many respects more relevant now than when it first appeared in 1958. In her study of the state of modern humanity, Hannah Arendt considers humankind from the perspective of the actions of which it is capable.

The problems Arendt identified then--diminishing human agency and political freedom, the paradox that as human powers increase through technological and humanistic inquiry, we are less equipped to control the consequences of our actions--continue to confront us today.

This new edition, published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of its original publication, contains an improved and expanded index and a new introduction by noted Arendt scholar Margaret Canovan which incisively analyzes the book's argument and examines its present relevance. A classic in political and social theory, The Human condition is a work that has proved both timeless and perpetually timely.

Good for readers who want: technology, economics, and philosophy.

  • Sociology
  • Technology
  • Economics
  • Addresses, essays
  • Philosophy
  • Political science
  • Philosophical anthropology
  • Human beings

2 About Hannah Arendt

1906–1975

Hannah Arendt (born Johanna Arendt; 14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975) was a German and American philosopher, political theorist, and public historian. She was one of the most influential political theorists of the twentieth century. Her works cover a broad range of topics, but she is best known for those dealing with the nature of wealth, power, fame, and evil, as well as politics, direct democracy, authority, tradition, and totalitarianism.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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