What does political action have to do with human immortality? This is a question in Hannah Arendt's philosophy that I have always wondered about. In many of her writings, especially The Human Condition, Elan emphasizes man's pursuit of immortality. She even goes back to the time of Pre-Socrates in ancient Greece, saying that the Greek city-states at that time attached great importance to political participation, and even generally believed that political action was the only way to respond to the inevitable death of people. She distinguishes between eternity and immortality. The former is a way of existence that transcends time. Through contemplation, especially philosophy, people grasp the eternal truth and live a life that is not time. Olam's frequently cited examples are Plato and Aristotle, both of whom express a desire for a contemplative life in their writings.
Unlike eternity, immortality is still a way popular database of living in the world, in time. People are bound to die, this is an irreversible fate, but people can obtain immortal life through the memory of others, by leaving their names and deeds in the community and in history. My life is limited, but memory and history can make me "live" immortality. From this point, Olan said that the political participation of ancient Greek city-states was the place where people gathered, discussed and acted. In the midst of all, my actions and words are witnessed by all, and my limited life is imprinted in the memory of all by my name.
Through biography and other historical accounts, my story has been passed down through the ages (or smeared through the ages). Oran said that this was the arrangement of death in the original ancient Greece. What I have not understood is why Elan (seems) thinks that the pursuit of immortality can still be a motivation for political action in modern society? Do we, who live in modern society, still find the "immortality in the world" described by Elan valuable? I doubt it. And if we erase the quest for immortality, how should we understand the dynamics of political action? But perhaps, the pursuit of immortality does not have to be understood by oneself. In a crazy society, we see a lot of crazy people and crazy things every day. many. too much.