On Revolution

Analyze the differences between “public happiness” and private welfare. What role did each of these spheres play in conceptions of freedom and democracy in the French and American Revolutions? What are the similarities and differences between the French and American conceptions of “public happiness”?

Arendt believes that Rousseau’s concept of the “general will” negatively affected the course of the French Revolution by crushing the opportunity to foster a more vibrant pluralism. What is the relationship between “general will” and revolutionary idealism more broadly? In your view, are “general will” and pluralism inherently opposed to one another, or is there a means of reconciling them?

Choose an American revolutionary figure and a French one, such as Jefferson and Robespierre. How does Arendt depict the two revolutionaries? In what ways are they different or similar? What qualities and values does Arendt suggest make for a successful revolutionary?

Arendt argues that direct democracy is a better and truer form of democracy than representative democracy. What are the benefits and disadvantages of each? Which do you think is ultimately the best form, and why?

Examine the various forms of tyranny that Arendt explores in her analysis. What are some of the different ways in which tyranny can be created or perpetuated? How does Arendt conceptualize effective resistance to tyranny? What factors, if any, does she overlook?

Some critics have charged Arendt with making an elitist case against liberal democracy. Do you agree or disagree with this critique? Use textual evidence to explain your reasoning.

What geopolitical and social factors influenced the nature and outcome of the French and American Revolutions? How did these factors differ between the two countries?

Arendt argues that true freedom can only exist within a specific place or state, where democratic rights and institutions are firmly established by law. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Arendt’s argument? In your view, is freedom something spatially-limited, as Arendt asserts, or can it be a more universal principle?