ABSTRACT
We do not quite know why an especially barbarous kind of totalitarianism triumphed in parts of Europe during the 1920’s and 1930’s; nor can we be certain that it will not arise again. Sandra Hinchman suggests that we might usefully turn to Hannah Arendt’s interpretation. Arendt linked the rise of totalitarianism to a declining role of “common sense” in the politics of modern societies. In her usage, common sense refers to a process of developing our perspectives on public issues through discussion and debate during which participants are willing to learn from one another. Any consensus emerging from this kind of a dialogue stands in sharp contrast to the uniformity of ideological reflexes that totalitarian regimes inculcate.
