The banality of evil does not absolve us
Nazi atrocities
This article haunts me.
https://aeon.co/ideas/what-did-hannah-arendt-really-mean-by-the-banality-of-evil
What did Hannah Arendt really mean by the banality of evil? | Aeon Ideas
Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the banality of evil” gets thrown around to describe how mundane evil acts can be, but it really was written specifically to describe the bureaucratic and routine efficiency with which Adolph Eichmann executed Hitler’s orders to transport millions of “undesirables” to their camps and their deaths, unconcerned with the morality of his duties.
But does that phrase accurately describe Eichmann’s complicity? Or does it only serve to absolve him of guilt by claiming that he “checked out” of moral examination and was merely doing tasks assigned to him?
For what it’s worth, I think “the banality of evil” (as popularly used) does exist—it exists in the unthinking participation in an unjust system designed to benefit a minority at the expense of everyone else. But it does not absolve us. It’s our moral duty to examine the parts we play in the system.