The Human Condition, an impressively original work brimming with unexpected revelations and conclusions, is today, in many respects, even more interesting than when it first appeared in 1958. Hannah Arendt examines the condition of modern humanity in light of our ability to act. The problems that Arendt identified then – the decline of human action and political freedom, and the paradoxical fact that, while human powers increase through the progress of the positive and humanistic sciences, we are less capable of controlling the consequences of our actions – remain unresolved. This new edition includes an introduction by Margaret Canovan, a distinguished scholar of Arendt, who provides an insightful analysis of the book's argumentation and examines its significance today. The Human Condition, a classic work of political and social theory, has proven timeless and always relevant.