A Herald Of The Twentieth Century Republicanism - Arendt Civic Virtue Thinking

As one of the greatest and most original political philosophers in the twentieth century, Hannah Arendt played a guiding role in the process of the recruitment and renaissance for republicanism in this period as well as indelible for the renaissance of post-totalitarianism era which has been affected by the totalitarianism in western countries. For the western liberalism and communitarianism had a period of opposition and now they were going to integration, there is still quite a lot space that can be explored and studied on the thoughts of republicanism, so it is with the topic of citizen virtue.Arendt's research is standing on the shoulders of many political thinkers from ancient Greece times to study citizen virtue, especially those with a strong republicanism, such as Aristotle, Cicero, Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Tocqueville, etc. Therefore, my paper tends to focus on the discussion of issue on citizen virtue, based on the enumeration and analysis of these thinkers.In the dark age that totalitarianism is dominant, Arendt went out from the field of philosophy and went into the public sphere, having an experience in the dangerous condition that endure the declination of republicanism, collapse of the public and the disappearing of civic virtue and civil action. She put forward her own views which provide sufficient enlightenments and inspiration for the renaissance of republicanism in the late twentieth century, then made a comprehensive and profound conclusion of public theory, combining the political experience in ancient Greek time. She never ignored the high relevant between citizen virtue and actions when explaining the public theory. Arend's political concept is based on the public field with a high relevant.Arendt stood firmly against the understanding and norms of unification, for her political concept can not be presupposed and prescribed, including citizen virtue. This paper finally draws a conclusion that the essence of Arendt's theory of citizen virtue lies in the braveness of getting into and preserving the pubic sphere, pursuit for the excellent and immortal words and actions, and positive thinking and judgment based on conscience.The importance of Arendt's thought of civic virtue does not lie in the renaissance of the virtue topic of republicanism, but to a certain extent, it also overcome the interrogation caused by the current dominant ideology to the collectivism of republicanism. Thus, in this sense, Arendt's thought of civic virtue still have a strong realistic and prospective significance today.