An open public event marks the 50th anniversary of Hannah Arendt’s passing as the Filosofia fuori le Mura association presents an evening of dialogue in Naples. The discussion, titled Hannah Arendt and Public Happiness, will feature philosopher, political scientist, and historian Nino Daniele alongside Giuseppe Ferraro. The event takes place on December 4, 2025, in the Cappella del Pontano, Piazzetta Pietrasanta 15, starting at 6:00 PM, with a screening of the film Hannah Arendt by Margarethe von Trotta to follow the talks.
The evening opens with reflections on Hannah Arendt’s enduring relevance. Recognized by many as one of the greatest political thinkers of the 20th century, Arendt’s work continues to resonate in contemporary discourse. Attendees will explore how her concerns—such as the blurring of facts and opinions, the crisis of culture, and the dangers of totalitarianism—remain pressing today. Central to the discussion is Arendt’s famous idea that “the banality of evil” arises from thoughtlessness: the failure to think, to notice, to question, and to ascribe meaning to events. The program underscores Arendt’s insistence that thinking is not aligned with partisanship or sectarian allegiance, but with action in a shared world aimed at preserving a common happiness. Giuseppe Ferraro’s contribution centers on a meditation on our current era. He argues that the world today is experiencing a form of totalitarianism that manifests digitally—where conflicts are waged in the cloud and the realm of artificial intelligence shapes perception and decision-making.
Ferraro contends that the contemporary danger is not that machines think, but that they can suppress genuine thinking; in Arendt’s terms, we risk losing the ability to think critically, to imagine alternatives, and to act toward a public good. He situates Arendt’s call for thought and action within the present geopolitical climate—citing the tragedies of Gaza and the ongoing realignments within Ukraine—as reminders that resistance to malevolent forces requires constant vigilance, reflection, and collective responsibility. For Ferraro, Arendt’s voice remains a Cassandra-like warning: the power to think and to act in concert can safeguard shared humanity against the seductions of power. A core message echoed by Ferraro is that thinking is not about choosing sides in a partisan conflict; rather, it is about engaging with the world in a way that preserves a public happiness—a “hidden treasure” of revolution that can be quickly lost when power consolidates into the ownership of a single party or ruler.
The condition of human life is described as living in relation and separation, speaking to one another in differences, and marveling at one’s own ignorance, while recognizing that the other is the other’s own ignorance. The evening’s practical details are straightforward: admission is free, but reservation is mandatory, and interested attendees can secure a place by emailing info@filosofiafuorilemura.it. After the discussion, there will be a screening of the Margarethe von Trotta film Hannah Arendt.
This event matters because Hannah Arendt’s reflections on thinking, speech, and action provide a framework for understanding how public life can be sustained against forces that seek to diminish plurality and dissent. By inviting Ferraro and Daniele to speak in Naples, Filosofia fuori le Mura offers an opportunity to reassess our public happiness—how we think together, how we speak to one another, and how we act for the common good in a world where technology and geopolitics increasingly shape the terms of political life. For readers and attendees, the evening promises not only a reevaluation of Arendt’s ideas but also a renewed invitation to participate in a shared, thought-provoking dialogue about how to cultivate and preserve the public happiness that Arendt named as essential to a functioning, humane polis.
Photo credits: Filosofia fuori le Mura
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