When we agree to practice joy through community, connection, and belonging in its own powerful way, it is an act of defiance to what's going on around us. We must ask ourselves, particularly in these difficult times, what we are fighting for? We fight for a meaningful world that yields joy. This commitment to fostering shared happiness becomes the ultimate evidence of resilience and a deeply healing public force.
To discover how to find joy and hopefulness in difficult times, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen continues her conversation with Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College and coordinator of the upcoming JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times conference.
Roger shares his intentions for the JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times conference, which are rooted in Hannah Arendt's philosophy that freedom is not a private endeavor but is best found in the public sphere.
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Roger Berkowitz—Joy & Hopefulness at Bard College:
- The speakers’ list for the JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times conference at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. {2:19}
- In these difficult times, what are we fighting for? {14:41}
- We fight for a meaningful world that yields joy. {20:05}
- Hannah Arendt believed in fighting for a public world of joy. {24:42}
Meet Our Guest:
Roger Berkowitz is the Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, where he also serves as Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Human Rights.
He is an award-winning author and editor who explores ethics, truth, and political thought, including The Gift of Science: Leibniz and the Modern Legal Tradition, and is the host of the podcast, Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz.
The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College will host the upcoming conference JOY: Loving the World in Dark Times (Thursday, October 16, and Friday, October 17, 2025, at Annandale-on-Hudson, NY). Register to attend in person or online.
