“Politics depends on the human capacity to make and keep promises. Promises are the means by which humans bind the future. Without promises and covenants, there would be no political stability. Yet promises are also fragile; they can be broken, forgotten, or betrayed.”
—
Hannah Arendt
The Human Condition (1958), Part Two; On Revolution (1963)
Commentary
Arendt highlights the paradox of human action: it is unpredictable and irreversible, yet politics requires stability. Promises offer a way to reconcile these: through words and covenants, humans establish predictability without eliminating freedom.
This concept influenced constitutional and republican thinking: the Constitution is a promise binding future generations. Breaking faith with promises is a form of political betrayal that opens the door to tyranny.
Commentary
Arendt highlights the paradox of human action: it is unpredictable and irreversible, yet politics requires stability. Promises offer a way to reconcile these: through words and covenants, humans establish predictability without eliminating freedom.
This concept influenced constitutional and republican thinking: the Constitution is a promise binding future generations. Breaking faith with promises is a form of political betrayal that opens the door to tyranny.