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

All Categories

Quote of the Week

To Judge Timelessness

Nikita Nelin, associate fellow at the Center, writes this week's Quote.

06-07-2019

Video

Why Arendt Matters: Celso Lafer

Roger Berkowitz talks with Celso Lafer for our video series.

06-07-2019

Article

Question and Answer

Mary Frances Williams was asked to leave the Annual Meeting of the Society for Classical Studies meeting this year...

06-02-2019

Article, Spotlight

Private Wisdom and Public Rhetoric

Anastasia Berg and Jon Baskin at The Point look at the public/private distinction among left academics, responding to...

06-02-2019

Article

Campus Politics

Liel Leibovitz offers an interesting perspective on the current wave of identity politics on college campuses in Tablet...

06-02-2019

Article, Featured

Immortality and Politics

Roger Berkowitz writes about immortality, Arendt, and Amber Scorah's reflections on grief.

06-02-2019

Art & Arendt, Journal

The Greatest Possible Torment: The Last Judgment by Frans Floris

Max Feldman
Max Feldman writes about the holocaust, Arendt, and Frans Floris's The Last Judgment in this month's column.

05-31-2019

Video

Why Arendt Matters: Bill T Jones

Roger Berkowitz talks with choregrapher and director Bill T. Jones about the importance of Hannah Arendt's ideas and writings.

05-31-2019

Article, Post

Taking White Interests Seriously?

By Roger Berkowitz
Isaac Chotiner of The New Yorker interviews Eric Kauffman about his new book Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities. Kauffman’s book looks analyzes a double insight...

05-26-2019