Hannah Arendt

"We are wont to see friendship solely as a phenomenon of intimacy in which the friends open their hearts to each other unmolested by the world and its demands...Thus it is hard for us to understand the political relevance of friendship...But for the Greeks the essence of friendship consisted in discourse...The converse (in contrast to the intimate talk in which individuals speak about themselves), permeated though it may be by pleasure in the friend’s presence, is concerned with the common world."

3 likes

Source: Hannah Arendt (2017). “The Origins of Totalitarianism”, p.553, Penguin UK

About the author

Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt

Philosopher, Political Theorist

Hannah Arendt was a political theorist known for her works on totalitarianism, authority, and the nature of power, particularly in 'The Human Condition.'

All quotes by Hannah Arendt →

Same author

More quotes by Hannah Arendt

See all →
Hannah Arendt Philosopher, Political Theorist

"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists."

Read quote
Hannah Arendt Philosopher, Political Theorist

"Politically speaking, tribal nationalism [patriotism] always insists that its own people are surrounded by 'a world of enemies' - 'one against all' - and that a fundamental difference exists between this people and all others. It claims its people to be unique, individual, incompatible with all others, and denies theoretically the very possibility of a common mankind long before it is used to destroy the humanity of man."

Read quote
Hannah Arendt Philosopher, Political Theorist

"When evil is allowed to compete with good, evil has an emotional populist appeal that wins out unless good men and women stand as a vanguard against abuse."

Read quote
Hannah Arendt Philosopher, Political Theorist

"Politically, the weakness of the argument has always been that those who choose the lesser evil forget very quickly that they chose evil."

Read quote