In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true." —Hannah Arendt

Written in the aftermath of Nazi Germany, The Origins of Totalitarianism excavates the conditions that make ordinary people susceptible to totalitarian movements. Arendt analyzes of how atomized individuals become participants in their own oppression. But few understand the personal crucible from which this work emerged. As a young Jewish woman in Germany, Arendt had an intense intellectual and romantic relationship with Martin Heidegger, the philosopher who would become a Nazi apologist. Their letters reveal how Arendt came to understand the psychology of collaboration and complicity with devastating clarity. Through excerpts from her seminal work, her correspondence with Heidegger, and some of her poetry, we will trace the development of her analysis about how populations surrender their freedom. Students will read outside of class and come prepared to discuss. Students will also generate new work (fiction or creative nonfiction) in class, depicting characters that hold contradictory beliefs or comforting fictions.

• In-Class Writing Lift: Light

• Homework: Required

• Workshopping Drafts: None