Civil Disobedience I-II | Crises of the Republic

From Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz by Hannah Arendt Center

February 20, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 128

About this episode

Roger Berkowitz discusses Hannah Arendt's essay 'Civil Disobedience' and its implications for political practice and morality in society.

In this episode of the podcast, Roger Berkowitz introduces Hannah Arendt’s essay “Civil Disobedience” from Crises of the Republic. Framed by Eugene Rostow’s question about citizens’ moral relation to law in a society of consent, Berkowitz explains Arendt’s argument that civil disobedience is not an individual act of conscience or a legal test case, but a nonviolent political practice carried out publicly by an organized minority bound by shared opinion, especially when normal channels of change fail. The discussion challenges Arendt’s reading of Socrates and Thoreau, debates whether conscience and justice can be separated from politics, raises issues like the necessity defense and Calhoun’s “concurrent majorities,” and considers civil disobedience’s limits in polarized or totalitarian contexts. Rate and review if you like this podcast! ABOUT: Produced by the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, this podcast offers close readings of Arendt's books alongside engaging interviews and thought-provoking conversations. Released weekly, each episode provides listeners with a deeper understanding of Arendt's philosophy and its relevance to contemporary issues. Available on all major…

People in this episode

Host: Roger Berkowitz

Topics covered

civil disobedience
political practice
law and morality
public action
politics and conscience
totalitarianism
polarization

Keywords

Hannah Arendt
civil disobedience
politics
law
morality
Eugene Rostow
Socrates
Thoreau
Calhoun

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Civil Disobedience, Crises of the Republic