The Banality of Evil

2025-08-07

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When you think of evil, characters like Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, and Michael Myers probably come to mind. But what is evil really? Evil can take different forms: sadistic and brutal, but it can also be boring and normalized. During the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, political philosopher Hannah Arendt reported on the trial for the New Yorker Magazine. Her journalism became incredibly controversial due to her account of Eichmann, viewing him as “banal,” “normal,” and a “clown.” Learn about the “banality of evil,” what it means, how it can be used to interpret Nazi Germany, and its ...

When you think of evil, characters like Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, and Michael Myers probably come to mind.

But what is evil really? Evil can take different forms: sadistic and brutal, but it can also be boring and normalized.

During the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, political philosopher Hannah Arendt reported on the trial for the New Yorker Magazine. Her journalism became incredibly controversial due to her account of Eichmann, viewing him as “banal,” “normal,” and a “clown.”

Learn about the “banality of evil,” what it means, how it can be used to interpret Nazi Germany, and its controversy on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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