# Civil Disobedience I-II | Crises of the Republic

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/reading-hannah-arendt-with-roger-berkowitz-1160305/civil-disobedience-i-ii-crises-of-the-republic.md
Podcast: [Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz](https://stenobird.com/podcast/reading-hannah-arendt-with-roger-berkowitz-1160305)
Published: 2026-02-20T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://hac.podbean.com/e/civil-disobedience-i-ii-crises-of-the-republic/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/fu6nva768h582bs9/2026_Crises_CivilDisobedience_I_II_V1ba41p.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3825

## Resource

In this episode of the podcast, Roger Berkowitz introduces Hannah Arendt’s essay “Civil Disobedience” from Crises of the Republic. Framed by Eugene Rostow’s question about citizens’ moral relation to law in a society of consent, Berkowitz explains Arendt’s argument that civil disobedience is not an individual act of conscience or a legal test case, but a nonviolent political practice carried out publicly by an organized minority bound by shared opinion, especially when normal channels of change fail. The discussion challenges Arendt’s reading of Socrates and Thoreau, debates whether conscience and justice can be separated from politics, raises issues like the necessity defense and Calhoun’s “concurrent majorities,” and considers civil disobedience’s limits in polarized or totalitarian contexts. Rate and review if you like this podcast! ABOUT: Produced by the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, this podcast offers close readings of Arendt's books alongside engaging interviews and thought-provoking conversations. Released weekly, each episode provides listeners with a deeper understanding of Arendt's philosophy and its relevance to contemporary issues. Available on all major podcast platforms, listeners join us on a captivating intellectual journey through the mind of Hannah Arendt. New episodes every Friday morning! Join Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College, as he discusses the works of German Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). THE HANNAH ARENDT CENTER: The Hannah Arendt Center provides an intellectual space for passionate, uncensored, and nonpartisan thinking that reframes and deepens the fundamental questions facing our nation and our world. Become a member and enjoy…

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## Transcript

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