Amor Mundi

The weekly newsletter of the Hannah Arendt Center

What is most difficult, writes Arendt, is to love the world as it is. Loving the world means neither uncritical acceptance nor contemptuous rejection, but the unwavering facing up to and comprehension of that which is. The opinions expressed in essays on our site are those of their authors.

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About

Amor Mundi (for love of the world) is an exploration of Arendtian topics delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. This includes deep dives into the works of Hannah Arendt and the implications of her ideas on the world today. We feature varied, nuanced, and often opposing viewpoints in this non-partisan publication, and brave and provocative ideas that will help you (re)discover the joy of deep thinking and caring about the world.

When you subscribe to the newsletter, you'll also receive first-hand updates on what we’re doing at HAC (conferences, events, workshops, etc.), an Arendt Quote of the Week with in-depth analysis from Arendt scholars from around the world, and highlights of the work being done on campus by our Student Fellows. Be among the first to know about special offers from our partners and upcoming events!

We've been publishing weekly essays here on our website since 2010, and are now transitioning to the publication platform Medium. You can still read for free with links from our email each Sunday! But now you can highlight sections and comment, too!

Browse our Library of Amor Essays on Medium

A note to new Medium users: if you see an offer pop-up, just simply X out to close and continue reading. You can also Follow HAC on Medium and Subscribe to our publications, to receive additional notifications so you don't miss an essay.

The Radical Politics of Joy

"Is Joy really what Arendt wants us to be talking about, amidst the most racist, cruel, and criminal American administration since the Civil Rights era?" So asked one of my favorite former students, protesting the theme of this year's Hannah Arendt Center Conference: JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times.

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Civil Disobedience and the Spirit of American Democracy

Hannah Arendt wrote that, “Dissent implies consent, and is the hallmark of free government.” We are at a moment when dissent is required if we are to preserve our freedoms.

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Temptations of Tyranny

“If this isn’t tyranny, what is?” So asks Rod Dreher, one of President Trump’s most steadfast intellectual supporters, now increasingly alarmed by the President’s abuses of power.

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An Open Letter To My Friends Who Signed “Philosophy for Palestine”

These are dark times as multiple crises are erupting around the world while talk of a global conflagration is heard in many circles. These are also times that try human relationships, friendships, and alliances.

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Temptations of Tyranny

Rod Dreher’s conflicted support for President Trump illustrates a broader crisis among intellectual conservatives who fear the "soft totalitarianism" of liberal institutions yet embrace the hard authoritarianism of executive overreach. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s political thought, the essay contends that true freedom is preserved not through charismatic leaders but through the multiplication and decentralization of citizen power. Revitalizing democracy, it argues, requires stubborn, local acts of collective governance rather than the dangerous temptation to concentrate authority in a single figure.

04-27-2025

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Article, Featured

Civil Disobedience and the Spirit of American Democracy

As fear and retaliation become tools of political control, this piece calls for collective dissent to defend democratic norms and constitutional freedoms under increasing pressure from the Trump administration.

04-20-2025

Article

Act like universities, not like businesses

Masha Gessen offers an example of how universities can and should resist the attacks on them. Their answer: Act like universities.

04-20-2025

Article, Featured

"Something has happened to the fabric of society"

This essay contrasts Mister Rogers' vision of neighborliness with the harsh treatment of legal immigrants in the United States, focusing on the case of Kseniia Petrova. It explores how class resentment and institutional silence have enabled arbitrary cruelty toward those who came here to contribute.

04-13-2025

Article, Featured

It’s Political Power, Stupid

Today’s populist revolts against globalization are not only economic in nature—they are fundamentally political. As Hannah Arendt warned, the elevation of economics over politics, especially under imperialism and globalization, leads to the collapse of political judgment and self-determination. Her historical analysis now reads like prophecy: we are witnessing the return of politics in its most raw and terrifying form.

04-06-2025

Article

On Misinformation

Audrey Tang, the Digital Minister of Taiwan for nearly a decade, is one the leading thinkers and practitioners of using technology to enhance public discourse.

03-30-2025

Article, Featured

Hannah Arendt and the Constitution of Freedom

This week I gave a lecture at the University of São Paulo in Brazil that asked, Why Law Alone Can’t Defend Democracy—and why Only Power Can Check Power.

03-30-2025

Article, Featured

When We Choose Knaves

The Alien and Enemies Act gives the President nearly unfettered power to expel non-citizens in times of war and the Supreme Court has given the President great leeway to determine what is and what is not a war. What we are witnessing is less a constitutional crisis than a cold and cruel manipulation of existing laws to stoke fear that is shocking to our humanist sensibilities.

03-23-2025

Article, Featured

Democracy and Dissent

Today, it is worth recalling Arendt’s foundational defense of public dissent as well as her outspoken resistance to legalized denaturalization based on political opinions.

03-16-2025

Article

Public Memorial for Jerome Kohn

This Saturday March 22nd from 2 to 4 pm there will be a public memorial in New York City to honor the life and legacy of philosopher and Arendt scholar Jerome Kohn (1931-2024). Kohn’s influence on American public culture was felt through his monumental contributions to the reception of Hanah Arendt’s thought.

03-16-2025