Scott Alexander reviews Hannah Arendt's 'Eichmann in Jerusalem', exploring key aspects of the Eichmann trial and the Holocaust, and reflecting on their implications.
Longer summary
This post reviews Hannah Arendt's book 'Eichmann in Jerusalem', which covers the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Scott Alexander discusses five key aspects from the book: Eichmann's psychological profile, Nazi pre-war plans for Jews, varying responses of occupied nations to Nazi demands, the role of Jewish councils, and why more Germans didn't resist. The review explores the complexities of evil, the importance of resistance, and draws parallels to modern political situations, while being careful not to spoil Arendt's conclusions.
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