The Banality of Evil

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

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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Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer

 

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More description

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.


Sponsors

  • Newspapers.com
  • Quince
    • Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!
  • Mint Mobile
    • Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed
  • Jerry
    • Compare quotes and coverages side-by-side from up to 50 top insurers at jerry.ai/daily.


Subscribe to the podcast! 

https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/

--------------------------------

Executive Producer: Charles Daniel

Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer

 

Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere


Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily

Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip

Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ 


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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025-08-07 13 min
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