Can Thinking Overcome Evil? On Thinking in Hannah Arendt

Year 2019, , 103 - 119, 28.03.2019

Sengün Meltem Acar Keskin

https://doi.org/10.18491/beytulhikme.1468

Abstract

By dealing with Hannah Arendt’s view on thinking, this paper aims to reveal the arguments on which Arendt has established the relationship between thinking and evil. The article, which is divided into two main sections, first examines the nature of thinking that Arendt refrains from defining. The difference between thinking and knowing, along with the question of why thinking is an activity; thus its distinction from contemplation in the traditional philosophy, constitute the main problems of this section. The second part of the article is on thinking as an internal, silent dialogue which according to Arendt is the only positive definition that can be made about it. For her, this way of thinking exemplified by Socrates and based on the duality that one has on his own, is important for reducing the possibility of one’s evildoing, even though it cannot prevent it completely. The study concludes by examining the reflections of thinking in action. 

Keywords

Arendt, thinking, evil, banality of evil, thoughtlessness, Socratic dialogue

References

• Arendt, H. (1971). Thinking and Moral Considerations. Social Research, 38 (3), 417-446.
• Arendt, H. (1981). The Life of the Mind. New York: Harvest.
• Arendt, H. (2003). İnsanlık Durumu. (Çev. B. S. Şener). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınla-rı.
• Arendt, H. (2018a). Ahlak Felsefesinin Bazı Sorunları. Sorumluluk ve Yargı. (Ed. A. Birsen). İstanbul: Sel Yayıncılık, 49-136.
• Arendt, H. (2018b). Zihnin Yaşamı. (Çev. İ. Ilgar). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları.
• Berkowitz, R. (2010). Solitude and the Activity of Thinking. Thinking in Dark Times. (Eds. R. Berkowitz & J. Katz & T. Keenan). New York: Fordham University Press, 237-245.
• Bernstein, R. J. (2006). Arendt on Thinking. The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt. (Ed. D. Villa). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 277-292.
• Camus, A. (1992). Sisyphos Söyleni. (Çev. T. Yücel). İstanbul: Adam Yayınları.
• Dolan, F. M. (2006). Arendt on Philosophy and Politics. The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt. (Ed. D. Villa). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 261-276.
• Heidegger, M. (1968). What is Called Thinking? (Trans. F. D. Wieck & J. G. Gray). New York: Harper & Row Publishers.
• Kattago, S. (2014). Hannah Arendt on the World. Hannah Arendt Key Concepts. (Ed. P. Hayden). London & New York: Routledge, 52-65.
• Mcgowan, J. (1997). Hannah Arendt: An Introduction. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Young-Bruehl, E. (1982). Reflections on Hannah Arendt’s the Life of the Mind. Political Theory, 10 (2), 277-305.