Manuscript Title: The foundations of totalitarianism in Hannah Arendth’s political philosophy

Abstract

This study aims to examine the thought of the German philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) and to understand her treatment of the foundations of totalitarianism. The significance of her political thought lies in its connection to the chronology of contemporary political history. Her writings reflect the reality of modern political thought, shaped by the legacy of totalitarian regimes.

Although many studies have examined the totalitarian system, Arendt’s research became a fertile ground from which numerous studies were launched by scholars such as Hermann Rauschning, Eric Voegelin, Raymond Aron, Claude Lefort, and Claude Polin. They all considered that understanding the phenomenon of totalitarianism represents an important and fundamental turning point in analyzing political events.

The idea of totalitarianism did not gain wide recognition until after the publication of Arendt’s most important work, The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951), which established her place among the intellectual elite of the second half of the twentieth century. The fundamental value of this book lies in its comprehensive analysis of the various aspects and mechanisms of totalitarianism, including repression, the obliteration of human identity, the persecution of minorities, immigration crises, republican systems, and populism.

Arendt warned of the political exploitation of peoples by tyrannical regimes and proposed the necessity of rejecting political dualism while activating democratic participation based on a popular foundation to confront general tyranny.