Where does the banality of evil come from?

Coined by political theorist Hannah Arendt after watching the 1961 trial of Nazi SS officer Adolf Eichmann, this spare phrase captures the idea that evil acts are not necessarily perpetrated by evil people. Instead, they can simply be the result of bureaucrats dutifully obeying orders.

What is the banality of evil thesis?

The banality of evil is an outgrowth of a perverted and paroxysmally criminal version of industrial civilisation. It implies a radical rupture between the daily technical and bureaucratic tasks, on the one hand, and the consequences, albeit extreme, at the end of the line, on the other.

What did Hannah Arendt write about?

Hannah Arendt, (born October 14, 1906, Hannover, Germany—died December 4, 1975, New York, New York, U.S.), German-born American political scientist and philosopher known for her critical writing on Jewish affairs and her study of totalitarianism.

What are the four types of evil?

The Four Types of Evil

• Demonic Evil.
• Instrumental Evil.
• Idealistic Evil.
• Foolish Evil.

What type of philosopher was Hannah Arendt?

Bard College, New York, U.S. Hannah Arendt (/ˈɛərənt, ˈɑːr-/, US also /əˈrɛnt/, German: [ˈaːʁənt]; 14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975) was a political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor. Her contributions influenced 20th and 21st century political theorists.

Why did Hannah Arendt flee from Germany?

In 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power, Arendt was arrested and briefly imprisoned by the Gestapo for performing illegal research into antisemitism in Nazi Germany. On release, she fled Germany, living in Czechoslovakia and Switzerland before settling in Paris.

What does Vita Contemplativa mean?

contemplative life
contemplative life, Latin term used by Augustine and the scholastics and derived from the Greek philosophical concept of βίος θεωρητικός; it was introduced by …

What is vita activa and vita Contemplativa?

The former are concerned with ‘doing’ and entail ‘active engagement’ with the world; the latter are concerned with ‘understanding’ the world. 1. Arendt uses the terms vita activa and vita contemplativa to describe the ways of life devoted respectively to the pursuits of the two types of activities.