Language of instruction: |
English |
Type of course: |
Non-Departmental Elective |
Course Level: |
Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
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Mode of Delivery: |
Hybrid
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Course Coordinator : |
Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU |
Recommended Optional Program Components: |
None |
Course Objectives: |
This course is devoted to exploring the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. The focus is on understanding Arendt’s critique of Western philosophy, with an emphasis on history as a developmental process towards the realization of human freedom. The main themes to be considered are totalitarianism, the rise of modernity, action and public sphere, power and freedom, revolutions, responsibility, and judgment. The first objective of the course is to provide an overview of Arendt’s work. The second objective of the course is to situate Arendt in the larger context of twentieth-century intellectual life and evaluate the contemporary significance of Arendt’s work. For this purpose, Arendt’s contribution to political philosophy and her response to predecessors in the tradition of Western philosophy will be critically examined.
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Week |
Subject |
Related Preparation |
1) |
Introduction |
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2) |
Hannah Arendt’s Life and Work |
• Majid Yar, “Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)”, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://www.iep.utm.edu/arendt/, Parts I, 2, and 3.
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3) |
Issues Surrounding the Eichmann Trial
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• Eichmann in Jerusalem, Chapter 1, 4-12, 17-20
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4) |
Banality of Evil |
• Eichmann in Jerusalem, 48-55, 136-138, 247-252 |
5) |
Banality of Evil II |
• “Hannah Arendt,” Margarethe von Trotta |
6) |
Midterm |
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7) |
Understanding Totalitarianism
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• The Origins of Totalitarianism, Preface to the First Edition, pp. vii-ix; Chapter 9, pp. 290-302
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8) |
Totalitarianism: Its tools and methods
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• The Origins of Totalitarianism, Chapter 13, pp.460 – 479
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9) |
Reading the Human Condition
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• Between Past and Future: Preface, pp.3-15
• The Human Condition, pp. 1-16, 22-33, 50-58
• Maurizio Passerin D’Entreves, “Hannah Arendt”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/arendt/, Part 4.
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10) |
Midterm 2 |
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11) |
Problem of Modernity
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• The Human Condition, pp. 38-49, 175-204, 294-
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12) |
Revolution
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• On Revolution, pp.28-35, 47-58, 59-64, 75-77, 124-132.
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13) |
Truth and post-truth
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• “Truth and Politics”
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14) |
GENERAL EVALUATION |
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