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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Amor Mundi 8/16/15

In our Amor Mundi, we reflect on the corporatization of education, realize the need for civil disobedience against the regulatory state, and much more!

08-16-2015

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Hannah Arendt and the Pentagon Papers

In this week's Library feature, we come across several copies of "The Pentagon Papers" in Bard College's Hannah Arendt Library.

08-13-2015

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Beethoven on Carrying and Writing Down Thoughts

Ludvig van Beethoven reflects on carrying and writing down one's thoughts in this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

08-11-2015

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Should We Be Humble?

What we overlook in the shadow of the humble man are the ways in which humility might threaten our most fundamental notions of justice.

08-09-2015

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Amor Mundi 8/9/15

In this week's Amor Mundi, we reflect on the wonders of boredom, admit our bafflement at he rise of ISIS, identify liberal arts' worst enemy, and much more!

08-09-2015

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Hannah Arendt: A Legacy of Americans' Love for Freedom

This week's Library feature reveals the extent to which Hannah Arendt respected American's love for freedom.

08-06-2015

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Alexander Hamilton on the Fruit of Labor and Thought

Alexander Hamilton reflects on how the fruit of labor and thought help constitute the appearance of genius in this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

08-04-2015

Post, Quote of the Week

Education, Crisis, and Whether We Love the World Enough

Laurie Naranch wonders if education can prepare us to assume responsibility for and help renew the common world.

08-02-2015

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Amor Mundi 8/2/15

In our Amor Mundi, we reflect on how our wired culture affects our social relationships, seek justice for eight men wrongly imprisoned, and much more!

08-02-2015