Abstract

This is a disappointing and depressing book. One does not make such a judgment lightly, nor apply it to a lesser work. There is good reason to expect that an account of the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt, one of the boldest and most thoughtful observers of 20th century political madness, will throw some light on the human condition. But what emerges from Kateb's meticulously detailed analysis of the main themes of Arendt's writings is dense, murky, and obscure. It is not clear whether this result inheres in Arendt's views or Kateb's exegesis; one suspects the former. Since, however, Kateb is frequently at war with his subject's opinions, he is not a disinterested observer. Only a reader who has examined Arendt's views as carefully as Kateb has would be in a position to judge whether he has represented her fairly.