Sunday Reading Circle: Hannah Arendt on Labor, Work, and Action

In this series of meetings, we'll come together to read and discuss some of the greatest texts and essays from the fields of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: from the Nobel laureates, famous philosophers, both ancient and modern, and influential political theorists.

No academic background is required! Anyone is welcome – as long as you've read the text in advance ;)

All texts will be short (10-20 pages max) and easy to find upon a quick Google search. I will also make sure to share the direct links in advance.

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This time we will read the Hannah Arendt’s essay 'Labor, Work, Action' (1964). The essay distills key ideas from her book The Human Condition (1958). In the essay, Arendt focuses on the important concepts of Vita contemplativa and Vita activa, and defines the three fundamental human activities – labor (survival), work (world-building), and action (political freedom) – just to show how modern society’s overemphasis on labor undermines creativity and political life.

The essay is a cornerstone of Arendt’s political philosophy, highlighting the central role of action as the realization of human freedom and plurality.

Link:
https://hiw.kuleuven.be/en/apply/2324-academic-reading-and-writing-test-text.pdf

(In case of issues with formatting, download the pdf file first, and then open it in a pdf reader)

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Location: we will meet in cafes, parks, or one another's living rooms throughout the summer. Together, we will discuss the great theories and ideas; think, debate, contemplate, deliberate, and by our joint effort we will aim to get one step closer towards understanding of this world.

This time we’ll meet at Justin’s home (Blahníkova 646/16). The names on the buzzer are “McCandless, Everett, Mainous,” go up to the 5th floor and if the button in the elevator gives you trouble then just ride it up to the 4th floor.

Meeting structure: each session will begin with a brief summary of the key ideas from the reading, followed by open discussion.

Please read the text in advance, make highlights, and write down any thoughts or questions that you find especially interesting and compelling.

Knowledge Will Break the Chains of Slavery
Veritas Vos Liberabit ✊