- [[The Zone of Interest]] She said one of the major attractions of [[Fascism]] is the surrender of moral and political agency ![[Portrait_of_Hannah_Arendt_-_23dc.png]] Brief summary of Hannah Arendt's distinction between work and labour, central to her book The Human Condition. Arendt divides human activity into three fundamental categories: Labour, Work, and Action. 1. Labour · Purpose: To meet the immediate, biological necessities of life (e.g., eating, drinking, shelter). · Character: Cyclical, repetitive, and endless. The "products" of labour (like a cooked meal) are quickly consumed and must be constantly reproduced. · Realm: The private, domestic sphere. It is tied to the human body and its needs. · Metaphor: The "Animal Laborans" (the labouring animal). This activity is what humans share with animals, focused purely on survival. It is worldless. 2. Work · Purpose: To create a durable, stable, and artificial "world of things" that outlives us. · Character: Linear, with a clear beginning (conception) and end (a finished product). It creates permanence. · Realm: The public, human-made world. Its products provide a common world for us to inhabit. · Metaphor: The "Homo Faber" (the human maker or fabricator). Work creates objectivity and stability, separating us from nature. --- Key Contrast in a Nutshell: Feature Labour Work Goal Survival (consumption) Fabrication (creation) Output Perishable (food, services) Durable (a chair, a house, a painting) Nature Cyclical & repetitive Linear & purposeful Humanity Animal Laborans (Labourer) Homo Faber (Maker) Arendt's concern was that modern society had collapsed this distinction, elevating "labour" (the endless cycle of production and consumption) to the primary human activity, thereby undermining the durable, shared world created by "work" and the political freedom found in "action." `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` | | | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Notable work | List<br><br>- _[The Origins of Totalitarianism](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origins_of_Totalitarianism "The Origins of Totalitarianism")_(1951)<br>- _[The Human Condition](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_Condition_(book) "The Human Condition (book)")_(1958)<br>- _[On Revolution](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Revolution "On Revolution")_(1963) | ___ - [](https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B004FTFYRQ?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp)