The evolution of the modern revolutionary tradition: a phenomenological reading of Hannah Arendt's On revolution

Abstract

This paper offers a reading of Hannah Arendt's On revolution through a phenomenological lens. It treats Arendt's text as a study of the evolution of the modern revolutionary tradition and the experiences of acute conflict and contradiction to which it has given rise. First, I address difficulties in conceiving of On revolution exclusively as political theory and affirm the helpfulness of bringing it into relation to sociology. Second, I draw attention to the triadic structure of Arendt's work in this case, its organisation in terms of the French, American, and ‘lost treasure’ moments of the modern revolutionary tradition. Third, I discuss Arendt's conceptual analysis of the modern idea of revolution, its differences from traditional ideas of revolution and the tensions involved in holding together its manifold and conflicted determinations. Fourth, I explore the different moments of the revolutionary tradition Arendt identifies, the experience of contradiction that arises at every stage, and the sense of normative evolution that comes from exploring the tradition as a whole. Finally, I propose that On revolution contains echoes of the idea of ‘rebellion as moderation’ earlier put forward by Albert Camus in The Rebel and that there is much to be gained from reading Arendt's text in this light. Overall, the paper argues for a reading of Arendt's text both as a substantive contribution to our understanding of the modern revolutionary tradition and as a methodological contribution to our ways of understanding modern political life.