Hannah Arendt and the Idea of Total Domination

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12727563
AutoresMichal Aharony (0000-0003-3821-5341, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, autor correspondente)
Ano2010
Volume24
Fascículo2
Páginas193-224
Data de publicação2010-08-03
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoHolocaust and Genocide Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1476-7937 • E-ISSN: 8756-6583
EditoraOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/hgs/dcq023
OpenAlexW2022963261
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas7

Hannah Arendt argued that the goal of totalitarianism was total domination; namely, to eliminate spontaneity and hence to destroy “man” as a moral agent and as an individual. This essay explores the problem of total domination as a core aspect of Arendt's theory of totalitarianism, tracing the problematic connection between Arendt's concept of total domination and her description of the Nazi totalitarian regime. It reveals certain ambiguities and inconsistencies in Arendt's understanding of totalitarianism, in particular concerning the question of whether the Nazis actually achieved total domination. Noting the survival of moral life in the camps, as manifested in acts of mutual aid among the prisoners, the author contends that the concept of “total domination” does not capture accurately the complexity of life in the Nazi concentration and extermination camps. In this light, she explores the limitations of Arendt's theory of totalitarianism

Political science · Sociology · Hannah Arendt's Political Philosophy · Political Theology and Sovereignty · Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, and Politics · Philosophy

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