Thinking, Introduction | The Life of the Mind, Volume One

This episode inaugurates a new book! Now we're reading Hannah Arendt's The Life of the Mind. Arendt's book, published posthumously in 1978 and, now, the new Critical Edition, delves into the nature of thinking, willing, and judging. Roger Berkowitz outlines the book's unfinished state, Arendt's editorial history, and her intention to compare English and German manuscripts. The episode highlights Arendt's famous epigraphs and contextualizes her philosophical journey from action to contemplation. A significant portion focuses on the political implications of Arendt's views on thoughtlessness, exemplified by her study of Adolf Eichmann (The Banality of Evil), which led her to investigate whether thinking can condition against evil. The discussion includes references to Kant and metaphysical traditions, emphasizing Arendt’s distinction between meaning and truth, and her belief that thinking seeks meaning rather than truth. In dialogue with members of the Virtual Reading Group, Roger Berkowitz touches upon contemporary issues, including the role of expertise and common sense, and how Arendt's thinking resonates today.  

ABOUT:

Produced by the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, this podcast offers close readings of Arendt's books alongside engaging interviews and thought-provoking conversations. Released weekly, each episode provides listeners with a deeper understanding of Arendt's philosophy and its relevance to contemporary issues. Available on all major podcast platforms, listeners join us on a captivating intellectual journey through the mind of Hannah Arendt.

New episodes every Friday morning! Join Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College, as he discusses the works of German Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). 

 

THE HANNAH ARENDT CENTER:

The Hannah Arendt Center provides an intellectual space for passionate, uncensored, and nonpartisan thinking that reframes and deepens the fundamental questions facing our nation and our world. Become a member and enjoy several benefits including access to our virtual reading group that takes place every Friday: https://hac.bard.edu/membership/

More information can be found on our website: https://hac.bard.edu/ Follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/arendt_center and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hannaharendtcenteratbard/

 

THE HOST:

Roger Berkowitz is the Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. He is the editor of The Perils of Invention: Lying, Technology, and the Human Condition, and co-editor of Thinking in Dark Times: Hannah Arendt on Ethics and Politics (2009), and Artifacts of Thinking: Reading Hannah Arendt’s Denktagebuch (2017). Berkowitz edits HA: The Journal of the Hannah Arendt Center and the weekly newsletter Amor Mundi. He is the winner of the 2019 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought given by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Germany.

 

EDITED BY:

Alex Fox Tschan is the editor & co-producer of the “Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz” podcast. He is a working musician, creative producer, & audio/visual editor at his Brooklyn-based studio, The Fox & The Sound. With 25 years of recording & performance experience, Tschan’s recent projects range from indie-pop albums to audiobooks for McNally Jackson. A full spread of his work & collaborations can be found at pastelhell.com