Evil, thinking, and emotions in Hannah Arendt’s political philosophy: Implications for the teaching of democratic citizenship

Abstract

This paper brings together Arendt’s insights on evil and thinking along with her concerns about the role of emotions in political life. The central questions driving this exploration are two: How does Arendt understand ‘thinking’ in her theory of evil and what can educators learn from this? What are her concerns about the role of emotions in public life and which pedagogical insights may be drawn? In attempting to respond to these questions, the analysis draws connections between Arendt’s concept of thinking and its influence on evil-doing, clarifies the distinction between rationality and critical thinking in Arendt’s thought, and discusses the ethical and political consequences of eliminating the dichotomy between reason and emotion. It is argued that, despite some limitations, the use of Arendt’s insights as a pedagogical and educational source working against evil-doing in a democratic society is of crucial importance, especially in these uncertain times.