The CEU Department of Philosophy cordially invites you to a talk (as part of its Departmental Colloquium series) by Csaba Olay (ELTE) on 'Hannah Arendt's Political Existentialism' Tuesday, 18 January, 2011, 4.30 PM, Zrinyi 14, Room 412 ABSTRACT In my talk I regard Arendt’s political philosophy as one grounded basically on a conception of human life and existence. The point is not only that each political philosophy presupposes some ideas about the nature of human beings, on the base of which the tasks and possible means of politics could be specified. In Arendt’s thought there is a closer connection between human existence and politics, insofar as the meaning of politics is to give room for human existence to grasp itself. To live an individual human life contains inevitably the task of understanding oneself, and this can happen only under public conditions that are, according to Arendt, at the same time political conditions. Consequently, her theory is not a proposal to define the political tasks as distinct from others, but rather to search the meaning of public activities and the meaning of action within the context of human life. This specific approach is expressed by the characterization „political existentialism” for Arendt’s work, and the term should underline the fact that she interprets politics in terms of other factors as well. Kriszta Biber Department Coordinator Philosophy Department Tel: 36-1-327-3806 Fax: 36-1-327-3072 E-mail: biberk(a)ceu.hu