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 6/14/15

In this week's Amor Mundi, we reflect on diversity of thought in the age of social media, explore the meanings and elements of computer code, and much more!

06-14-2015

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A Graduate Student's Shelf Library of Arendt

The Hannah Arendt Center enjoys an image of a graduate student's personal "shelf library" of Arendt in this week's Library feature.

06-11-2015

Article, Post

Carl Von Clausewitz on Principles and Rules

Carl Von Clausewitz discusses the effect that rules and principles have on a thinking man in this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

06-09-2015

Post, Quote of the Week

When Power Runs Riot

Jeffrey Jurgens uses the protests in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD to understand both the differences and the relations between violence and power.

06-07-2015

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Amor Mundi 6/7/15

In this week's Amor Mundi, we reflect on the Senate's passage of the USA Freedom Act, remember our appreciation for imaginative thinking, and much more.

06-07-2015

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The Many Origins of Totalitarianism

We appreciate several copies and translations of "The Origins of Totalitarianism" found in the Hannah Arendt Collection in this week's Library feature.

06-04-2015

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Blaise Pascal: The Thinking Reed That Is Man

French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal offers up his comments on the nature of man in this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

06-02-2015

Post, Quote of the Week

Beyond Bluebeard: Arendt’s "Some Questions of Moral Philosophy"

Philip Walsh discusses some of the startling conclusions Hannah Arendt arrived at with regards to moral philosophy.

05-31-2015

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Amor Mundi 5/31/15

In our Amor Mundi, we explore how Title IX can endanger intellectual freedom on college campuses, meditate on our obsession with pictures, and much more!

05-31-2015