Thinking in Dark Times

What does it mean to say that we live in dark times? For Hannah Arendt, dark times are not limited to the plagues, wars, and genocides that mark the course of human history. Instead, darkness names the way these horrors appear in public discourses and yet remain hidden. Darkness refers not merely to oppression and suffering but to the double-talk by officials and public figures who explain away unpleasant facts and pressing concerns. It refers to the fading distinction between truth and lie that allows environmental, economic, and ethical outrages to thrive hidden in plain sight. Darkness names the all-too-public invisibility of inconvenient facts. We hear much about “fake news” today; but what does it mean to speak the truth in politics? This lecture asks: Can the practice of thinking — that is central to the humanities — shine light amidst the darkness?