Hannah Arendt on Courage and Common Sense in Moral Reasoning
November 9 & 16, 2025
Class Description
Hannah Arendt famously wrote about “the banality of evil,” a phrase she used to describe the unsettling idea that many of humanity’s greatest evils have been enabled by ordinary people rather than mythical monsters. Over the course of this two-part lecture series, we will explore what Arendt meant by this phrase, and how her ideas can help us think about our moral thought processes today. We will look at her unique antidotes to the dangers of intellectual conformism: courage and common sense. For Arendt, “common sense” is more than just practical wisdom; it requires a careful combination of solitary reflection as well as honest communal conversations. While her ideas offer us stark warnings, they also offer hope for finding our moral footing in turbulent times.
About Anandita Mukherji
Dr. Anandita Mukherji teaches philosophy at Regis University. She specializes in contemporary political philosophy and ethics, particularly in questions regarding moral responsibility for global poverty. She also works on the history of political philosophy, with a focus on totalitarianism and human rights. Her recent publications include “The Moral Status of Institutional Negligence” (forthcoming), and “Poverty and Human Rights” (2023).