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Philosophy Pod
Arendt on Totalitarianism
Ep. 24
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In this episode, we'll explore Hannah Arendt's theory of totalitarianism. Hannah Arendt, a prominent 20th-century political theorist, explored the nature and origins of totalitarianism extensively. She argued that totalitarian regimes, exemplified by Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union, thrived on isolation, terror, and the eradication of individual freedoms, aiming to dominate every aspect of life and to obliterate the distinction between public and private spheres. Arendt highlighted the unprecedented nature of totalitarianism, emphasizing its use of ideology and the mobilization of mass support to achieve total control over both the state and the individual, leading to the total domination of human beings.
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