'The Origins of Totalitarianism' by Hannah Arendt

 

Good evening and welcome to this blog post.

We shall begin by clearing up some, shall we say 'technical jargon' surrounding the subject:

1. Totalitarianism: the idea of a nation being ruled by a dictator without law; individual subordinate to the state

2. Antisemitism: prejudice against Jewish people

3. Xenophobia: fear or hatred of foreign people or states  

4.Nationalism: excessive patriotism 

'The Origins of Totalitarianism' was written in 1951 after WW2 and after Hitler's death. Ardent writes about a form of government where dictatorship doesn't allow for individualism. She discusses how Arabs and Jews lived together in post war states and how racism is deep within western society. In chapter two she discusses the Nation's state, the rights of Jews and how democracy aims to include what everyone wants in its decisions. There was no equality; Jews were just needed for their skills without being involved in the state. Within the German class system Jews had no class, therefore lacking rights.

In Part Three of the book the following topics are looked at : the powers of Hitler and Stalin, Nazism, the Nazi party, facism, biological racism, pure society, Stallinism, sovereign union, lack of constitutional law, and the power through totalitarianism.

Stalin manipulated propaganda, where we see the media's role; and early link between media power and the masses.

Biological racism aims to control and organise people to all look the same; Hitler wanted blond haired and blue eyes people. The agreement as to what is aesthetically pleasing can be done through brain washing as advertising does today, for example the Ugg boot trend. When masses are one there is a loss of responsibility as a whole, which can be used to shape a power when the masses a brain washed sufficiently.

Snobbish behaviour is exemplified by Hitler's ideas being taken to the extreme and through Carey's metaphor of bacteria used to describe the masses. Ardent thought that the holocaust was normal, a strange thong for her to say, being a Jew herself, but perhaps she says this within the broad teleological lenses of history?

Human industrialism, on an industrial scale ; organised mass murder.

'All explanations of antisemitism look as if they had been hastily and hazardously contrived, to cover up an issue which so gravely threatens our sense of proportion and our hope for sanity' (Arendt 1951, p. 11). An example of such a hasty explanation (as described in the above quote) is xenophobic outburst; essentially modern antisemitism growing as traditional nationalism declined.   

Arendt explains that Nazi nationalism was not simple, their propaganda directed at travelers not members (see page 12). She also clears up that 'persecution of the powerless' may not be pleasant but that it doesn't come from human hatred alone because 'even exploitation and oppression still make society work and establish some kind of order (Arendt 1951, p. 13).

Some interesting further quotes to end off:

Arendt questions 'what happened' to case the holocaust on page 387.Her book seems to take a historical look at what came before communisim and totalitarianism in an effort to explain the birth of such ideas, she looks at Russian Imperialists for example. .

On page 407 she discusses how masses are quickly forgotten and replaced, which reminds me slightly of some of the thoughts portrayed in John Carey's 'Intellectuals and the Masses'. 

On page 408 Arendt seems annoyed at the masses describing the 'proverbial fickleness of the masses and the fame that rests on them'.  

Ardent put some misconstrued ideas about dictators to rest 'the widespread belief that Hitler was simply an agent of German industrialists and that Stalin was victorious in the succession struggle after Lenin's death only through sinister conspiracy are both legends which can be refuted by many facts but above all by the leaders indisputable popularity' (page 408-409)...'nor can their popularity be attributed to the victory of masterful and lying propaganda over ignorance and stupidity' (page 409).

Idealism is dangerous 'idealism,  foolish or heroic, always springs from some individual decision aand conviction and is subject to experience and argument' (page 410).