


how a criminal trial shed light on a country’s racial divisions and.how catastrophically dangerous conspiracy theories can be.In this summary of The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt,In these book summary you’ll find out As her account lays bare, we need to be vigilant in maintaining free discourse and making sure people don’t fall through the cracks of society, because when they do, terrible things can happen. The Origins of Totalitarianism is considered her masterwork by many, but it was not without its controversy when it was first published only a few years after WWII.Īrendt traces events in Europe that led to the rise of totalitarianism in Germany and the Soviet Union, and the role ineffective democratic governments played in setting the stage for these brutal regimes.

With some luck, Hannah Arendt was able to escape the Nazis as a refugee in the 1930s. It’s comforting to think that we’ve moved past such brutalities, but if we truly hope to prevent future atrocities we must stay mindful of how quickly a democratic society can turn against its people. We’ve come a long way and made a great many advancements over the years, but the fact remains that we’re only a few generations away from one of the most devastating wars humanity has known.
