Basic concepts and banality of evil in the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt

The aim of this study is to analyze Hannah Arendt?s conception of the banality of evil.The first chapter of the study is devoted to an overview of Arendt?s political thought in order to provide an introduction necessary for a proper approach to the conception of the banality of evil. In this introductory chapter we present the conceptual order of the political philosophy of Arendt starting with her criticism of totalitarianism. In the second chapter of the study the period of Nazism in Germany is scrutinized with the help of Arendt?s political analysis. The focus of her analysis is the conception of the banality of evil which was developed by the philosopher during the trial of Eichmann.In the conclusion chapter of the study, the focus is the analysis of the conception of the banality of evil in respect to its causes ? e.g. the deprivation of the power of reasoning and the loss of judging ability.All the works of Arendt have been analyzed in order to determine the main structure of the study and then the philosopher?s basic concepts and their interrelations have been elaborated within the framework of the predetermined structure.