An invitation to read The Human Condition

Exploring Arendt's (fateful) vision of the modern world together

Dear Reader,

Need a little Amor Mundi?

Join me for a close reading of Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition—a masterpiece that continues to speak to so many of the forces that shape our world today.

Why The Human Condition now?

How does technology shape the way we live, work, and think?
Is privacy still possible in a world that demands constant visibility?
What does it mean to create something that truly lasts?

The last time Donald Trump was elected President, Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism became a #1 bestseller. Since 2016, I’ve taught Origins almost twenty times to curious readers around the world who want to understand the rise of Trumpism. But, I think if you want to think about what’s going on in our world today with Arendt, then the book to read is The Human Condition.

I’ll share why over the next four weeks.

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What This Is (and What It Isn’t)

This is not a class.

It is a guided reading—a space to read together in community.

Over four weeks, I’ll share context, archival materials, and short videos explaining the key conceptual terms that define the architecture of the book: private, social, public, labor, work, action, the vita contemplativa, and the vita activa, among others.

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How it works:

We’ll read The Human Condition together over the next four weeks!

That’s about 15 pages per day.

Weekly mini-talks will be sent and posted here on:

• Thursday, January 9th

• Thursday, January 16th

• Thursday, January 23rd

• Thursday, January 30th

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What you get:

• Weekly mini-talks

• Live Zoom discussions

• Video breakdowns

• Access to archival materials

• Curated reading thread for readers to share favorite passages, ask questions, and reflect on the text

• Q&As with me

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Live Zoom meeting:

You’ll be invited to join three live Zoom discussions to talk about the book. (The sign-up link for these meetings will be included in the first email on Thursday, January 9th.) The meetings will happen on:

• Thursday January 16th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST

• Thursday January 23rd from 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST

• Thursday January 30th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST

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This will be paywalled, so If you’d like to join, but the monthly subscription cost of $5.00 is too much, please write to me and I will gift you a subscription. I never want money to be a barrier.

If you’re already a paying subscriber, then you’re all set!

If you don’t have a copy of The Human Condition already, you can find one from a local independent bookstore here.

I’m excited to dive into The Human Condition with you.

Until soon!

Sam