An Unknown Constellation: Hannah Arendt Reads Étienne Gilson and Jacques Maritain

Professor Thomas Meyer on February 2, 2024 at the University of Chicago. German philosopher and former UChicago professor, Hannah Arendt stands as one of the most influential 20th century theorists of totalitarianism and political ideology. The sources for her unique insights remain obscure, as she rarely revealed her influences outside of Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. Thomas Meyer has discovered in unpublished archives and letters Arendt’s deep interest in two mid-century French Catholic thinkers: Etienne Gilson and Jacques Maritain. She explored their works during the “Third Reich,” taking a special interest in Gilson’s philosophy of history and Maritain’s analysis of the state. Arendt valued their consistent way of thinking. A study of this “unknown constellation” traces unexpected connections among mid-century political theorists.