The South African elections have exposed a political world characterised by a saturation of noisy opinion and a lack of ethics. But, Thiven Reddy writes, there is a way through this without reverting to the divisive authoritarian politics of South Africa’s history. Hannah Arendt reminds us that the ancient Greek marriage of philosophy and politics can create a better, more inclusive society. In a time of potential dramatic change in South Africa, the death of Socrates provides us with a model of dialogue, friendship, and politics that can help us navigate the problems of civic society. A key theme surrounding modern electoral politics – think US elections and Trump, or currently in South Africa – is opinion and its consequences. Drawing from a reading of Hannah Arendt, I want to make the case that pol…
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