Amor Mundi

Arendt’s Anton Schmidt

During the Second World War, Anton Schmidt, a Viennese forty-year-old reserve soldier in the Wehrmacht, did something deeply unexpected: he helped Jews, and then also the Jewish underground, intentionally and consistently, for several months, until he was arrested in January 1942 and, a few months later, executed for treason. The story of his heroic acts, which moved Arendt and the rest of the audience in the courtroom in Jerusalem so profoundly, was not wholly unknown at the time of the Eichmann trial. Arendt notes that it was already published in Yad Vashem’s Hebrew Bulletin and that, following this publication, it was also mentioned in a few Yiddish-American papers. However, it does seem to have found its way into Arendt’s report as if by accident––told in the Israeli courtroom and then commemorated by Arendt only due to the prosecution’s interest in a relatively insignificant comment Schmidt once uttered. Apparently, Schmidt had told Abba Kovner, one of the leaders of the Jewish resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, who later became a renowned poet and a leading public figure in Israel, that he had heard rumours about “a dog, called Eichmann,” who “arranges everything.”

On The Tribalism of Cosmopolitans

In his column, Ross Douthat critiques modern cosmopolitans, arguing they form a tribe of racially diverse yet intellectually and economically homogenous elites, masking their self-interest behind claims of objectivity. He contrasts them with "real cosmopolitans," who genuinely seek out and engage with unfamiliar cultures and perspectives, rather than assimilating differences into global sameness. Douthat’s essay challenges the idea that cosmopolitans are truly open-minded, suggesting instead that they exhibit tribal tendencies, avoiding those who don't share their values or worldview.

Anti-Fascism 101

The hidden heart of this quote, and of Arendt's thought in my view, is thoughtlessness. And the pathetic paragon of thoughtlessness in her body of writings is of course Adolf Eichmann, whom she treats—with a surprising degree of humor—as a comical figure. Arendt describes the "horrible" phenomenon of Eichmann's thoughtlessness as "outright funny." For example, “officialese,” as she terms it, “became his language because he was genuinely incapable of uttering a single sentence that was not a cliché.” As such, Eichmann’s role as an actor in the theater of his trial, according to Arendt, is “not a ‘monster’,” but rather “a clown.” The reason for this clownishness, Arendt concludes, is that Eichmann was—shockingly—too completely “normal,” specifically in a horrific Nazi context in which “only ‘exceptions’ could be expected to act ‘normally’.”

When Government Works Its Magic

The article discusses the vital role of civil servants in a functioning democracy, emphasizing that politics is about collective action for a common purpose. It critiques the poor treatment and recognition of public officials, which undermines meaningful political life. The Sammie awards, designed to honor exceptional federal employees, are presented as a way to address this problem by highlighting the critical contributions of public servants, often overlooked despite their role in solving significant challenges.

Finance Capitalism

John Lanchester argues that finance, despite its enormous size and influence on the global economy, is largely useless because most financial transactions do not create real value but involve speculative betting. He illustrates how modern finance, rather than allocating resources efficiently, revolves around speculation on price movements, resulting in a zero-sum activity where no value is added.

Stubborn Things: The Problem with a World that Won’t Fade

In The Human Condition, which is where the quote I have chosen comes from, Arendt famously assigns a central theoretical place to the distinction between the perishable character of the outcome of labour – goods that are either extinguished by consumption or immediately returned to nature – and the durability of the products of work – things that outlast their use. She is also very clear, however, that such durability – this unnatural, artificial attribute that men willingly bestow to the products of their work – is never absolute. It is only for a limited time, indeed, that things can escape the metabolism of nature.

Loneliness Unsolved

This article explores the modern phenomenon of loneliness, tracing its emergence as a widespread societal concern and examining its potential causes and impacts. It discusses various perspectives on loneliness, from historical to contemporary research, highlighting how societal changes and technological advancements have influenced social connections. The piece concludes by suggesting that current feelings of isolation may be part of a larger evolutionary process, as society adapts to new forms of connection and community in the digital age

Hannah Arendt, Pearl-Diving, and the Humanities

This is one of the most arresting passages and images in Arendt’s works. I read it as a highly original defence of the humanities, which are now greatly endangered throughout the world. It is rarely interpreted in this light, but I think it distills better than many other accounts the essence of a genuinely meaningful vocation of a humanities scholar and/or teacher. At least personally, it provides me with a self-interpretation that illuminates my teaching experience at the university.

Who Controls the State?

Roger Berkowitz's article examines the historical struggle in the United States over who controls the state, emphasizing the ongoing tension between elites and the working classes. He contrasts the Jacksonian approach of centralizing power to empower the people with Hannah Arendt's view that true republican freedom requires decentralizing power to prevent any single faction from dominating the state.