Introduction

What is it about?

This introductory chapter firstly explains a threefold purpose of this volume: to elucidate Arendt’s flagship idea of political freedom in relation to its closely connected ideas, including liberation and revolution; to consider her theory of freedom and its continuing relevance (or lack thereof) in light of some of the most notable political experiences over the past decade; and to analyze her theory of freedom comparatively by way of examining a variety of relevant writings in political thought, including the mainstream post-Rawlsian branch of political theory. I then give a summary of each of the chapters in the volume, followed by reflections on the intellectual challenges that Arendt scholars should confront today.

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