A work of striking originality bursting with unexpected insights, The Human Condition is in many respects more relevant now than when it first appeared in 1958. In her study of the state of modern humanity, Hannah Arendt considers humankind from the perspective of the actions of which it is capable. The problems Arendt identified then—diminishing human agency and political freedom, the paradox that as human powers increase through technological and humanistic inquiry, we are less equipped to control the consequences of our actions—continue to confront us today. This new edition, published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of its original publication, contains an improved and expanded index and a new introduction by noted Arendt scholar Margaret Canovan which incisively analyzes the book's argument and examines its present relevance. A classic in political and social theory, The Human Condition is a work that has proved both timeless and perpetually timely.

《人的条件》的主题即“我们正在做什么”。阿伦特通过对vita activa等级上的两次倒转的分析，表明这一倒转实际上是摩登时代运作前提的一个胜利——即生命而非世界才是人至高的善。尽管《人的条件》只是一种历史的分析，但它着眼于当代，体现着作者对当代因科技的巨大进步而带来的问题的忧虑和关切。