Exile and Statelessness
The entirety of Arendt’s political theory is grounded in her experience as a stateless, Jewish-German refugee. As early as 1943, she wrote: ‘Refugees driven from country to country represent the vanguard of their peoples – if they keep their identity’ (We Refugees in The Jewish Writings).
Arendt’s analysis of the figure of the refugee must be contextualized within the controversies of her era; namely, the practice of resolving ‘the issue of minorities’ through their assimilation into the dominant national culture (Bernstein, 1996). Arendt was not advocating for the defence of an essentialized identity (Butler, 2012) but rather for a space of freedom in which individuals can freely express themselves without discrimination. While embryonic, the concept of plurality – that is, of equality and distinctiveness – had already begun to shape her thinking during this period.
It is equally significant to consider that Arendt did not conceive of statelessness as a narrowly Jewish phenomenon. Rather, she regarded it as ‘the newest mass phenomenon in contemporary history’ (OT), one that is perpetuated by the structural, symbolic and explicit violence of the modern nation-state. However, Arendt held that this phenomenon can also allow for sources of enlightenment, authentic relationships, and genuinely critical thought to emerge. This pertains to what Traverso (2004) has more recently termed ‘the epistemological privilege of exile’ (Traverso, 2004).
For this reason, our Consortium intends to engage in interdisciplinary studies on varied forms of human exile, migration, displacement and movement by drawing upon a critique of the nation-state and the violence of its borders. We also seek to promote research in the fields of intellectual history and the sociology of intellectuals aimed at furthering critical theory and knowledge regarding the experience of exile and statelessness.
Essential bibliography:
Arendt Hannah, We Refugees (1943), in The Jewish writings, edit by J. Kohn, R. H. Feldman, New York, Schocken Books, 2007, pp. 264-274.
Bernstein Richard, Hannah Arendt and the Jewish Question, Cambridge, Polity, 1996.
Butler Judith, Parting ways: Jewishness and the critique of Zionism, Columbia University Press, 2012.
Krause Monika, Undocumented Migrants. An Arendtian Perspective, « European Journal of Political Theory», 7, 3, 2008, pp. 331-348.
Traverso Enzo, La pensée dispersée. Figures de l’exil judéo-allemand, Parigi, Lignes & Manifestes, 2004.
Exile and Statelessness
The entirety of Arendt’s political theory is grounded in her experience as a stateless, Jewish-German refugee. As early as 1943, she wrote: ‘Refugees driven from country to country represent the vanguard of their peoples – if they keep their identity’ (We Refugees in The Jewish Writings).
Arendt’s analysis of the figure of the refugee must be contextualized within the controversies of her era; namely, the practice of resolving ‘the issue of minorities’ through their assimilation into the dominant national culture (Bernstein, 1996). Arendt was not advocating for the defence of an essentialized identity (Butler, 2012) but rather for a space of freedom in which individuals can freely express themselves without discrimination. While embryonic, the concept of plurality – that is, of equality and distinctiveness – had already begun to shape her thinking during this period.
It is equally significant to consider that Arendt did not conceive of statelessness as a narrowly Jewish phenomenon. Rather, she regarded it as ‘the newest mass phenomenon in contemporary history’ (OT), one that is perpetuated by the structural, symbolic and explicit violence of the modern nation-state. However, Arendt held that this phenomenon can also allow for sources of enlightenment, authentic relationships, and genuinely critical thought to emerge. This pertains to what Traverso (2004) has more recently termed ‘the epistemological privilege of exile’ (Traverso, 2004).
For this reason, our Consortium intends to engage in interdisciplinary studies on varied forms of human exile, migration, displacement and movement by drawing upon a critique of the nation-state and the violence of its borders. We also seek to promote research in the fields of intellectual history and the sociology of intellectuals aimed at furthering critical theory and knowledge regarding the experience of exile and statelessness.
Essential bibliography:
Arendt Hannah, We Refugees (1943), in The Jewish writings, edit by J. Kohn, R. H. Feldman, New York, Schocken Books, 2007, pp. 264-274.
Bernstein Richard, Hannah Arendt and the Jewish Question, Cambridge, Polity, 1996.
Butler Judith, Parting ways: Jewishness and the critique of Zionism, Columbia University Press, 2012.
Krause Monika, Undocumented Migrants. An Arendtian Perspective, « European Journal of Political Theory», 7, 3, 2008, pp. 331-348.
Traverso Enzo, La pensée dispersée. Figures de l’exil judéo-allemand, Parigi, Lignes & Manifestes, 2004.
Exile and Statelessness
The entirety of Arendt’s political theory is grounded in her experience as a stateless, Jewish-German refugee. As early as 1943, she wrote: ‘Refugees driven from country to country represent the vanguard of their peoples – if they keep their identity’ (We Refugees in The Jewish Writings).
Arendt’s analysis of the figure of the refugee must be contextualized within the controversies of her era; namely, the practice of resolving ‘the issue of minorities’ through their assimilation into the dominant national culture (Bernstein, 1996). Arendt was not advocating for the defence of an essentialized identity (Butler, 2012) but rather for a space of freedom in which individuals can freely express themselves without discrimination. While embryonic, the concept of plurality – that is, of equality and distinctiveness – had already begun to shape her thinking during this period.
It is equally significant to consider that Arendt did not conceive of statelessness as a narrowly Jewish phenomenon. Rather, she regarded it as ‘the newest mass phenomenon in contemporary history’ (OT), one that is perpetuated by the structural, symbolic and explicit violence of the modern nation-state. However, Arendt held that this phenomenon can also allow for sources of enlightenment, authentic relationships, and genuinely critical thought to emerge. This pertains to what Traverso (2004) has more recently termed ‘the epistemological privilege of exile’ (Traverso, 2004).
For this reason, our Consortium intends to engage in interdisciplinary studies on varied forms of human exile, migration, displacement and movement by drawing upon a critique of the nation-state and the violence of its borders. We also seek to promote research in the fields of intellectual history and the sociology of intellectuals aimed at furthering critical theory and knowledge regarding the experience of exile and statelessness.
Essential bibliography:
Arendt Hannah, We Refugees (1943), in The Jewish writings, edit by J. Kohn, R. H. Feldman, New York, Schocken Books, 2007, pp. 264-274.
Bernstein Richard, Hannah Arendt and the Jewish Question, Cambridge, Polity, 1996.
Butler Judith, Parting ways: Jewishness and the critique of Zionism, Columbia University Press, 2012.
Krause Monika, Undocumented Migrants. An Arendtian Perspective, « European Journal of Political Theory», 7, 3, 2008, pp. 331-348.
Traverso Enzo, La pensée dispersée. Figures de l’exil judéo-allemand, Parigi, Lignes & Manifestes, 2004.