Revolution and Freedom: Essays by Hannah Arendt, Vol. 3

One of the Twentieth Century's Most Original Philosophers

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hannah Arendt's Passing · Taiwan's First Selected Collection of Her Untranslated Classics

Curated by Yeh Hao, Chairman of the Hannah Arendt Society of Taiwan, and Edited by Li Yu-Chung, Translator of "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

Re-presenting Arendt's Important Writings with a Thematic Structure

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◤　Volume 3: "Revolution and Freedom"　◢

Is revolution a path to violence or to freedom?

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"Those who act in freedom and fight for freedom

deserve more serious consideration than any theoretical speculation."

──Hannah Arendt

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From the French Revolution to various liberation movements of the twentieth century, revolution has long been seen as the road to freedom. However, revolution does not necessarily bring freedom, and often, after victory, it quickly deviates from its original intentions.

This book includes "Freedom to Be Free: The Conditions and Meaning of Revolution" and "The Hungarian Revolution and Totalitarian Imperialism," both of which were previously published as standalone books and were very popular. "The Hungarian Revolution" originated from a revolution in 1956 within the Soviet satellite system. Arendt examined the changes in totalitarian regimes after Stalin's death, highlighting the hopes and dilemmas for achieving freedom. "Freedom to Be Free" condenses the essence of Arendt's famous work "On Revolution," comparing the classic examples of the French Revolution and the American Revolution. Arendt believed that whether a revolution brings freedom depends on whether it successfully creates a public space for continuous action, speech, and mutual commitment. If it remains in the violent stage or only pursues liberation, it will descend into violence and slide into terror.

In today's turbulent world, "revolution" and "liberation" often become emotional slogans, or even pretexts for armed aggression. Arendt's reinterpretation of freedom helps us reconsider the true meaning of revolution and the significance of action.

"The Arendt Collection" Series

Chief Curator —Yeh Hao
Graduated from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, with a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Currently a professor in the Department of Political Science at National Chengchi University and chairman of the Hannah Arendt Society of Taiwan. Specializes in political philosophy, international political theory, and philosophy of social science. Author of "Political Time Lag, Time Lag Politics: Narrative Synchronicity as an Imagination of Democratic Politics" and "Isaiah Berlin."

Editor —Li Yu-Chung
Currently an adjunct assistant professor in the Philosophy Program and a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chinese Literature at National Taiwan Normal University, and Secretary-General of the Hannah Arendt Society of Taiwan. His main research areas include political philosophy, Arendt's thought, pre-Qin thought, and cross-cultural philosophy. Translator of "The Origins of Totalitarianism," "Between Past and Future" (co-translator), and "Lectures on Kant's Political Philosophy" (co-translator).

Special Recommendation

Roger Berkowitz｜Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, USA

Jointly Recommended (in alphabetical order by surname)

Wu Chun-Yeh｜Associate Professor, General Education Center and Institute of Philosophy, National Tsing Hua University

Wu Feng-Wei｜Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Chinese Culture University

Hung Shih-Chien｜Professor, Institute of Philosophy, National Sun Yat-sen University

Huang Han-Yu｜Professor, Department of English, National Taiwan Normal University

Liu Tsang-Lung｜Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan Normal University