Hannah Arendt, Liberalism, and Freedom from Politics
Kei Hiruta, "Hannah Arendt, Liberalism, and Freedom from Politics", in Kei Hiruta (ed.), Arendt on Freedom, Liberation, and Revolution, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, pp 17-45
Abstract
Arendt presents her defense of political freedom as a challenge to the liberal convention, which allegedly conceptualizes freedom as “freedom from politics.” But her comments on liberal theories of freedom are scattered and unsystematic, and they raise a series of questions. Is her understanding of liberal freedom accurate? If it is not, why does she misconstrue liberal freedom as she does? And does her limited understanding of liberalism undermine her defense of political freedom? This chapter aims to answer these questions. The first half clarifies Arendt’s (mis-)understanding of liberal freedom. The latter half critically evaluates her challenge to liberal freedom and considers what is alive in it over a half-century later.
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Berlin's Bête Noire: Hannah Arendt and Isaiah Berlin on Freedom, Politics and Humanity 01 September 2018 - 30 June 2019 |
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