Family Quote by Hannah Arendt
““What all Greek philosophers, no matter how opposed to polis life, took for granted is that freedom is exclusively located in the political realm, that necessity is primarily a prepolitical phenomenon, characteristic of the private household organization, and that force and violence are justified in this sphere because they are the only means to master necessity—for instance, by ruling over slaves—and to become free. Because all human beings are subject to necessity, they are entitled to violence toward others; violence is the prepolitical act of liberating oneself from the necessity of life for the freedom of world. This freedom is the essential condition of what the Greeks called felicity, eudaimonia, which was an objective status depending first of all upon wealth and health. To be poor or to be in ill health meant to be subject to physical necessity, and to be a slave meant to be subject, in addition, to man-made violence.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Human Condition, 1958
Freedom is seen as purely political, while necessity and violence belong to private life; Greeks linked freedom to wealth and health, making poverty a loss of liberty.
In simple terms: Freedom is political; necessity is private; violence justifies control.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how political structures shape concepts of liberty.
Themes
politics
freedom
necessity
violence
wealth
Mood
critical
analytical
philosophical
Type
theoretical
historical
When to use this quote
- political theory
- ethical debate
- historical analysis
- modern governance
Key Concepts
social contract
eudaimonia
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does modern society separate political freedom from private coercion?
- Can wealth truly guarantee freedom?
A Different Perspective
Violence can be misused to claim freedom, ignoring human dignity.
![“[M]ore than they wanted freedom, the Athenians wanted security. Yet they lost everything-security, comfort, and freedom. This was because they wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them. The freedom they were seeking was freedom from responsibility. It is no wonder, then, that…” quote by Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/12b/margaret-thatcher-463_athenians_m-ore-than-they-wanted-freedom-the-athen_3205501.jpg)
![“...for the interests of rulers require that their subjects should be poor in spirit, and that there should be no strong bond of friendship or society among them, which love, above all other motives, is likely to inspire, as our Athenian tyrants learned by experience; for... [love] had a strength…” quote by Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f26/plato-103_friendship_for-the-interests-of-rulers-require-that_127166.jpg)
