What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

Adolf Hitler projected his own narrative into his campaign speeches, giving his followers a coherent story that the Nazi movement was winning, even when they weren’t. Hannah Arendt began to come up with ideas for “The Origins of Totalitarianism” while observing what Hitler provided his followers: “The Nazis translated the propaganda lies of the movement into a functioning reality.”

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Clip Season 39 Episode 5 Length 02:49 Premiere: 06/27/25

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Season 39 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

Starring Dick Van Dyke

S39 E8 Length 1:52:55 Premiere Date 12/12/25

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S39 E7 Length 1:36:28 Premiere Date 10/14/25

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S39 E6 Length 1:22:55 Premiere Date 07/11/25

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S39 E5 Length 1:23:45 Premiere Date 06/27/25

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Preview Length 02:00 Premiere Date 06/27/25

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Clip Length 02:49 Premiere Date 06/27/25

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What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

Recent Episodes

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Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Starring Dick Van Dyke

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore

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Clips & Previews

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny

What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

Hannah Arendt’s reflections on being a refugee

Why McCarthyism was familiar to Hannah Arendt

How Hannah Arendt developed the concept of "the banality of evil"

Remembering Jonas Mekas

Remembering Carol Channing

Remembering Stan Lee

Remembering Paula Wayne

Artists Flight Series Promo

Remembering Neil Simon

Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Specials

How Clive Davis became a titan of the music industry

Michael Sarnoski: What Robin Hood and Folklore Tell Us About Ourselves Today

Mike Wallace reflects on the 60 Minutes tobacco story controversy

Tyler James Williams on 30 Years of Acting and Protecting the Next Generation

Olivia Wilde on making “Tron: Legacy” with Jeff Bridges

Why Atsuko Okatsuka’s Comedy Connects Across Cultures

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [EAD]

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [ASL]

Warren King: King of Cardboard

Greg Kinnear on Acting, AI, and Why Movies Still Matter

Aliah Irvine & Kehau Kapua’a: Kukulu

Chris Fleming Embraces the Chaos

Cindy Tran: From Here to Here

Lani B. Supreme: Legacy

Hannah Mayree: Songs of Reclamation

John Goodman on "The Big Lebowski" and Jeff Bridges

Alsarah: The Sonic Historian

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [EAD]

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [ASL]

Ani Liu: Eye Heart Womb

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [ASL]

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [EAD]

Night in Newark

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [ASL]

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [EAD]

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters [Extended Audio Description]

How Leslie Jones Became a Comedian

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters

Phoebe Robinson Shows Her Work

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [EAD]

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [ASL]

Sarah McLachlan: Making Music to Connect and Heal

Harvey Fierstein on gay representation on Broadway and its deep history

How Natasha Rothwell’s Life Brought Her to “The White Lotus”

When Ringo Starr met Mae West

Daniel Dae Kim Leads Spy Drama and Fights for Industry Change

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [ASL]

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [Extended Audio Description]

Mel Brooks' wild ride to his first Broadway show ever

John Kander and Fred Ebb on “Cabaret,” creativity and collaboration

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [Extended Audio Description]

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [ASL]

Marcella [ASL]

Marcella [Extended Audio Description]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [ASL]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [Extended Audio Description]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [ASL]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [Extended Audio Description]

Phil Rosenthal’s Secret Recipe: Good Food and a Laugh

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [ASL]

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [Extended Audio Description + OC]

Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call