Spoiling One's Story: The Case of Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt's posthumous influence continues to be enormous, even though her best-known claims have been refuted by new evidence. Since her death, a youthful diary shows Arendt precociously aware of a choice between two possible futures. Either she would choose a natural future unfolding with harmonious openness, or else attain public influence by advancing unsupported claims. In fact, Arendt lived both futures successively. In early essays, she held ex-Nazis responsible for their war cri...