Tag: cain and abel

In Hannah Arendt’s "Origins of Totalitarianism," she looks at the rise of totalitarianism and its effects on humanity. In our contemporary discourse, we have returned to her analysis as we see the darkness of authoritarianism rise. She argues that the root of totalitarianism is hatred and fear, as it seeks to eliminate the other to maintain total control.

In my last post, I introduced an exploration of hate as an idea. We sometimes think of hate as this emotional force that overcomes us. As if we are walking down the street minding our own business, listening to Taylor Swift singing "haters gonna to hate, hate, hate, hate, hate," and like a vampire, coming upon us with a greeting of “good evening,” before launching onto our neck and sucking out our life and turning us into a creature of the night.