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plurality

English
FR pluralité
DE Pluralität
TR çoğulluk
PhilosophyPolitical sciencePolitical theoryPracticeSocial relations
Concept description

For Arendt, plurality is the political condition of sharing one world from irreducible positions. People are equal enough to understand one another and distinct enough not to be interchangeable. It means more than the presence of many individuals.

Speech and action participate in the disclosure of who someone is before others. Disclosure is not simply describing inner qualities; it develops through relations and unforeseen consequences.

A common world is not established by imposing one perspective. Yet plurality does not assert that every opinion is equally true or that institutions are unnecessary. Judgment and shared responsibility remain questions.

This entry follows The Human Condition. Comparison with communicative action or multicultural theories is possible, without identifying distinct approaches because they address related democratic problems.

About Metis AcademiaRecord last edited: 19.10.2026The edit date does not indicate that the sources have been independently verified.