한나 아렌트의 인간관 - 『인간의 조건』에 대한 철학적 인간학적 탐구 -

Abstract

Using Hannah Arendt’s 『The Human Condition』 as a focal point, this paper discusses the desired nature of the human character in modern times from the approach, not of apolitical-philosophical method, but of a philosophical-anthropological method. In 『The Human Condition』, Hannah Arendt claims that human beings have their presence in the world under the existential conditions of labor, work, and action. They seek meaningful existence through basically liberated actions that they perform despite the restrictions of labor and work. For her, such meaningful actions imply “political action.” Through political activity, human beings typically live their common existence together in “public territory,” thus reaching a higher level of human existence than that which can be achieved in“private territory.” For Arendt, the word ‘political’ differs from the established concept of politics. It is rather a concept laden with anthropological meaning and signifies that the intrinsic nature of human beings moves them to go out of themselves into light through mutual interaction with others in the formation of relationships. Human plurality explains this concept well. In contrast with brute animals, the plurality of human beings signifies that each human person is special and that humans are as a whole equal, but morally distinct entities. The reason why the existence of human beings is political is shown in this way. Nonetheless, totalitarian society forms a world in which humans are made into impersonal beings rather than beings that maintain their inherent human characteristics. If political activity is lacking, a totalitarian society can lead to the creation of absolute evil in the form of the loss of humanity. Therefore,human beings must be political beings in order to maintain their inherent human nature. Arendt argues that acts of thinking, judging, and willing that are appropriate for oneself are essential for humans to act properly. She speaks of“active life” and “contemplative life.” From an epistemic perspective,contemplative life has precedence over active life; but Arendt holds that the active life is more dominant, with the question of “why” being more important than “what” as a pressing existential task of human beings.