The hidden philosophy of Hannah Arendt / Margaret Betz Hull.

"First published in 2002. Transferred to Digital Printing 2010."--T.p. verso of paperback edition.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-188) and index.

1. Political Action and "The Old Suspicions of Philosophers' -- 2. Arendt's Philosophy: The Primacy of Plurality and Interaction --3. Professional Philiosophy Versus Philosophy as Philanthropia: Arendt's Influences --4. The Arendtian Person: Hannah Arendt as Jew, Hannah Arendt as Woman.

The central argument of this book is that Hannah Arendt's deserved place in the history of Western philosophy has been overlooked, and recognition of her contribution is long overdue. In part a result of Arendt's own insistence on calling herself a 'political thinker' throughout her career, this is also due to a common tendency in philosophy to denigrate the political. This book explores the indisputable philosophical dimensions of her work. In particular, it examines Arendt's theoretical commitment to recognizing humanity as a plurality, which avoids the common mistake in Western philosophy of theoretically overemphasizing the self in isolation. Arendt's own personal dealings with aspects of her identity, namely her Jewishness and her womanhood, work to inform us of this position against solipsism.