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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Hannah Arendt Library: Karl Marx

In this week's Library feature, we appreciate Arendt's collection of books on Marxist capitalism.

02-20-2015

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Congratulations to Michiel Bot!

We congratulate Michiel Bot, one of our post-doctoral fellows, on receiving the Witteveen Memorial Fellowship in Law and Humanities at Tilburg University.

02-20-2015

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Tolstoy on Thinking

Leo Tolstoy provides this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

02-18-2015

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Manifesting in the Wake of Charlie Hebdo

Etienne Tassin discusses how we can use Arendt to understand the political success of those demonstrators who rallied together in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

02-16-2015

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Amor Mundi 2/15/15

In this week's Amor Mundi, we investigate the increasing use of shell corporations in high-end real estate, reflect on the changing disposition of the public intellectual, comment on the dynamic nature of blogging, and much more.

02-16-2015

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The Hannah Arendt Library: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

In this week's Library feature, we appreciate the influence of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on Hannah Arendt's writings.

02-13-2015

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Seneca on Thinking

Seneca provides this week's Thoughts on Thinking.

02-11-2015

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Political Lies: Altering Facts and Rewriting History

Richard A. Barrett discusses how political lies not only skew history but also undermine a political actor's ability to engage with reality.

02-09-2015

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Amor Mundi 2/8/15

In this week's Amor Mundi, we reflect on the transformation of artists into creative entrepreneurs, meditate on the fragility of our common world, recognize the importance of "popular art," and much more.

02-09-2015