Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz

In this bonus episode of the Reading Hannah Arendt podcast, we're sharing a conversation we did with our friends at Lapham's Quarterly. Their podcast, The World in Time , explores stories and insight from today's writers and thinkers. Last summer, Donovan Hohn sat down for a conversation with Roger Berkowitz to discuss the life and work of Hannah Arendt and two essays that share the title “Civil D...

In this bonus episode of the podcast, we share a talk from our fall conference on JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times . Teju Cole  is a novelist, essayist, and photographer, whose talk "Operation Lightness" explored joy and literary arts. Cole's talk emphasized the redemptive power of lightness, weaving through themes of humor, transformation, and the delicate balance between horror and beauty. In...

In this final episode of 2025, Roger Berkowitz discusses the concluding chapters of Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution. He elaborates on Arendt's exploration of what she regards as the 'most mature' articulation of her political philosophy, particularly focusing on the concepts of freedom and meaningful life. The discussion delves into the importance Arendt places on public appearance, speech, and acti...

In this bonus episode of the podcast, host Roger Berkowitz explores the complex relationship between truth and politics. Speaking from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he attended the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference, Berkowitz discusses the erosion of public trust in institutions that were once considered impartial. He delves into the philosophical roots of this distrust, tracing it back to...

In this bonus episode, recorded in collaboration with  Radio Kingston , Roger Berkowitz talks with Blake Smith, a historian, essayist, and translator, about the impact of Hannah Arendt’s philosophy on gay politics. Smith provides insights into the life and work of Michael Denneny, an influential figure in gay publishing and a former student of Arendt. They discuss Denneny's career, his relationshi...

In this episode, host Roger Berkowitz discusses the first two parts of the last chapter of Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution, in which Arendt argues that the American Revolution was successful due to its emphasis on stable, lasting institutions like the Constitution, the Senate, and the Supreme Court. Arendt contrasts this with the French Revolution, which failed to incorporate such institutions. The...

In this episode, host Roger Berkowitz leads a close reading of Chapter 5 of Hannah Arendt's On Revolution, specifically focusing on the American Revolution. Berkowitz emphasizes Arendt's distinction between power and authority, explaining how the Founders' experiences and the act of foundation contributed to the Constitution's revered status. He delves into the problematic perception of democracy...

In this bonus episode, the Center's Director of Academic Programs Jana Mader sits down with podcast host Roger Berkowitz to talk about highlights from our recent conference and provide a peek into the process of developing next year's event! Then, we share Roger's talk from JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times . Rate and review if you like this podcast!   ABOUT: Produced by the Hannah Arendt Center...

In this episode, Roger Berkowitz delves into Chapter 4 of Hannah Arendt's On Revolution, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary politics. Berkowitz highlights Arendt's view that the American Revolution uniquely succeeded in founding political freedom, unlike other revolutions, and argues for the importance of understanding public freedom and the creation of a new system of power to sustain demo...

In this episode, Roger Berkowitz discusses Chapter 3 of Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution, including her interpretation of the American and French Revolutions, centered around the concept of 'public happiness.' Berkowitz explains how Arendt argues that the American Revolution was focused on founding political freedom, whereas the French Revolution diverted towards eradicating poverty, which led to its...

In this episode, we finish Chapter Two of Hannah Arendt's On Revolution. Roger Berkowitz elaborates on Arendt's distinctions between social and political revolutions, highlighting her critique of the French Revolution for focusing on social equality at the expense of political freedom, unlike the American Revolution which aimed to establish lasting institutions of freedom. The discussion covers Ar...

This week we're sharing a two-part episode we did with our friends at Harvesting Happiness , a positive psychology lifestyle podcast for the pursuit of happiness and well-being. Lisa Cypers Kamen, MA, Adv. CASAC, SUDCCII, RYT-200, is an advocate and trailblazer for a new frontier of happiness, health, and well-being for everyone, and she conducts the interview with Roger Berkowitz. In part 1, Roge...

In this episode, host Roger Berkowitz focuses in on the first three sections of Chapter Two: "The Social Question" of Hannah Arendt's On Revolution. The discussion highlights Arendt's tendency to make significant distinctions—in this case, between the social and the political, and between poverty and misery. Berkowitz elaborates on Arendt's controversial take that the American Revolution succeeded...

In this episode, host Roger Berkowitz leads a close reading of Chapter 1, "The Meaning of Revolution" from Hannah Arendt's book, On Revolution. He discusses Arendt's distinction between liberation and freedom, the essence of political revolutions, and the crucial role of founding a new polity in times of broken authority. Berkowitz highlights Arendt's focus on the difference between the American a...

Our Virtual Reading Group is now reading Hannah Arendt's seminal On Revolution. In this first episode of the new text, host Roger Berkowitz covers Arendt's analysis of political revolutions, freedom, power, and the quest for founding a new polity amidst the breakdown of traditions and authority. Berkowitz touches on the challenges of modern revolutions, the importance of a foundational authority,...

We finish our reading of Hannah Arendt's The Life of the Mind with the final sections of Book II. Host Roger Berkowitz delves into Arendt's critique of the Western tradition's understanding of the will, focusing on the contributions of key philosophers like Augustine, Aquinas, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. He highlights Arendt's argument that political freedom and action should be divorced from philos...

In this bonus episode, host Roger Berkowitz reads from and discusses his two recent essays, ' The Revolution Against Legitimacy ' and ' No Question Marks, Just Exclamation Points ,' to analyze the revolutionary aspects of Trumpism. Berkowitz argues that Donald Trump's movement is not conservative or isolationist but rather a revolutionary effort aimed at dismantling the liberal intellectual order...

In this bonus episode, host Roger Berkowitz interviews  Sonita Alizadeh , a global Rhodes Scholar, human rights activist, rapper, and author. Sonita shares her journey from being born under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, surviving two attempted child marriages, to becoming a global icon with her viral rap " Daughters for Sale ." She discusses her new memoir  Sonita, My Fight Against Tyranny an...

This week we're sharing an episode we did with our friends at Today's Totalitarianism, a podcast that seeks to offer an accessible, academically informed commentary on troubling developments around the globe variously described as fascist, majoritarian, or authoritarian.  Greg Feldman, who's a professor in sociology at the University of Windsor, conducts the interview with Roger Berkowitz. They to...

In this bonus episode, host Roger Berkowitz engages in a rich conversation with James Romm, a Professor of Classics at Bard College, about his new book Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece . The discussion covers the historical and political context of the book, focusing on Plato's interactions with tyrants Dionysius the Elder and...

In this week's episode, host Roger Berkowitz guides us through the next close chapter reading of Hannah Arendt's The Life of the Mind. The discussion covers the second part of Book II on Willing, emphasizing the differences between the originally published manuscript and the newly edited version. Berkowitz explains Arendt's exploration of the will, focusing on Augustine, Aquinas, and Duns Scotus,...

This episode's chapter reading of Hannah Arendt's The Life of the Mind, focuses on the critical exploration of the concept of willing, examining its historical development from Greek to Christian philosophers like Epictetus, St. Paul, and Augustine. Host Roger Berkowitz discusses the nuances between thinking and willing, and the role of love in unifying internal conflict, and the spontaneity of hu...

Host Roger Berkowitz leads a discussion on Hannah Arendt's book, The Life of the Mind, focusing on the sections dealing with Aristotle and St. Paul's views on the will. They discuss the philosophical evolution of the will, its significance in Christian thought, and its implications for understanding freedom, desire, and political action. The conversation explores Arendt's critique of internalizing...

In this week's chapter reading of Hannah Arendt's The Life of the Mind, host Roger Berkowitz, focuses the session on Part II, Willing, Chapter 1, The Philosophers and the Will. Discussing the difficulties accessing the will in philosophy, Berkowitz addresses its role in the context of freedom, new beginnings, and evil. He delves into the historical viewpoint of the will from Aristotle to Hegel, an...