action

Action is the domain where individuals engage directly with one another by revealing their unique identities and contributing to a dynamic public world. In The Human Condition, a treatise on Greek philosophy written by Hannah Arendt in 1958, action appears as the highest expression of the “vita activa.” Action is the embodiment of human freedom, plurality, and the potential for new beginnings. It is through action that individuals weave their thread into a shared fabric of existence and give form to collective destiny. Unlike labor or work, which are bound by expectations of necessity and durability, action has the power to transform the world into something new. Action is what allows us to appear as individuals among a plurality of people, and through this appearance we discover the frontiers — and limits — of our capacity to shape the world we inhabit.

  • The vita activa, or "active life," is a concept introduced by Hannah Arendt to describe the realm of human engagement with the world and others. It encompasses three key activities: labor, the necessary work of survival; work, the creation of lasting artifacts that shape society; and action, the highest form of freedom, where individuals interact, reveal their identities, and create a shared public world. Arendt contrasts the vita activa with the contemplative life, which focuses on reflection rather than participation. The vita activa represents the full breadth of human involvement in the world, emphasizing the importance of creating, sustaining, and transforming the world.

  • Natality is a concept introduced by Hannah Arendt in The Human Condition that refers to the capacity for new beginnings inherent in human life. It is the idea that every birth brings the potential for change, renewal, and the possibility of starting something anew. Natality emphasizes the importance of each individual as a unique and unpredictable force capable of initiating action that transforms the world. For Arendt, natality is closely linked to human freedom, as it underscores the potential of individuals to bring about new ideas, actions, and ways of being. It is a key aspect of the human condition that points to the ongoing potential for growth and the creation of a better future.

  • Natality is closely linked to freedom because it represents a fundamental potential for new beginnings and the ability to shape one's own destiny. Each new birth brings the possibility of starting fresh, free from the constraints of the past. This capacity for new beginnings is what makes human beings uniquely free—that is, able to act, create, and initiate change in the world. Freedom is not just about the absence of constraints, but about the ability to bring something new into existence, and natality is the source of that power. It is through the act of birth—both literal and metaphorical—that individuals exercise their freedom to transform the world.