On Revolution (Humanities and Society Translation Series)

"We will pass away without leaving a trace of smoke, because, in the long history of mankind, we have missed the moment of founding a country with freedom." This is the last prophecy left by Robespierre; but on the other side of the Atlantic, the American Revolution has realized the ideal of freedom. "On Revolution" starts from the phenomenological method of political life and the different theories guiding the two revolutions, deeply analyzes the differences between the two revolutions, and expresses the author's republican thought of "building a country on freedom." The content revolves around the differences between the French Revolution and the American Revolution: Arendt constantly compared the two and pointed out the shift in the goal of the French Revolution, which was from "founding a country with freedom" to the indictment of social issues; while the American founders focused on the construction of a political form from the beginning, which can ensure the introduction of different viewpoints and positions and reflect the voices and interests of more people or groups. Although the American Revolution deeply influenced the French Revolution, the results were vastly different.