Chapter 1: Antisemitism as an Outrage to Common Sense

In this chapter, Hannah Arendt sets out to define antisemitism and dispel myths surrounding its origin and ties to totalitarianism. She argues that antisemitism is not simply a result of nationalism or jealousy of Jewish power. Instead, she suggests that it is an ideology, a pseudo-scientific doctrine claiming scientific validity, that emerged in the 1870s. Arendt identifies two principal ideologies of the late 19th and 20th century as racism, based on social Darwinism, and communism, based on class divisions. She explains that these ideologies provide scientific justifications for the dominance of one group over another. Arendt challenges the belief that antisemitism is arbitrary, arguing that there must be non-arbitrary reasons for the Jews being chosen as targets. She also explores the concept of common sense, highlighting how the Nazis' actions were an outrage to common sense, as they pursued genocide and totalitarianism for the sake of exterminating a small group. Arendt emphasizes the need to comprehend antisemitism in order to resist it effectively.