Within the heart's darkness:The role of emotions in Arendt's political thought

Interest in the political relevance of the emotions is growing rapidly. In light of this, Hannah Arendt’s claim that the emotions are apolitical has come under renewed fire. But many critics have misunderstood her views on the relationship between individuals, emotions and the political. This paper addresses this issue by reconstructing the conceptual framework through which Arendt understands the emotions. Arendt often describes the heart – where the emotions reside – as a place of darkness. I begin by tracing this metaphor through her work to demonstrate that it is meant to convey the inherently uncertain nature of emotions rather than a devaluation of them. I proceed to challenge the notion that Arendt adopts the Enlightenment dichotomy between reason and emotion. In fact, she rejects both as a basis for politics. However, she does identify some constructive roles for the emotions. I argue that fear is intrinsically connected to courage – the principal political virtue – in Arendt’s philosophy. In light of my discussion, I then reinterpret the role of compassion and pity in On Revolution, concluding that Arendt’s insights can help us avoid the potential pitfalls of the contemporary project to recuperate the emotions in politics

Effects of Soil Types and Fertilizers on Growth, Yield, and Quality of Edible Amaranthus tricolor lines in Okinawa, Japan

Soil types and fertilizer regimes were evaluated on growth, yield, and quality of Amaranthus tricolor lines, IB (India Bengal), TW (Taiwan), BB (Bangladesh B), and BC (Bangladesh C) in developing management practices in Okinawa. Growth and yield of all amaranth lines were higher in gray soil (pH 8.4) than in dark red soil (pH 6.6) and red soil (pH 5.4). The combined NPK fertilizer resulted in highest growth parameters and yield of amaranths in all soils. Nitrogen fertilizer alone did not affect growth parameters and yield of amaranths in dark red and red soils. Growth parameters and yield increased similarly with the 30, 40, and 50 g m−2 of NPK fertilizer in BB line, and with the 20, 30, 40, and 50 g m−2 in BC line. Agronomic efficiency of NPK fertilizer at 50 g m−2 was not prominent on the amaranths, compared to the fertilizer at 40 g m−2. Amaranth lines had higher Na in dark red and red soils, while K and Mg in gray soil, Ca in gray and red soils, and Fe in dark red soil. The NPK fertilizer resulted in higher Na, Ca, Mg, and P in BB line in glasshouse. These minerals in BB line were not clearly affected, but in BC line were lower with NPK fertilizer at 20–50 g m−2 in field. These studies indicate that gray soil is best for amaranth cultivation and combined NPK fertilizer at 20–40 g m−2 is effective in gray soil in Okinawa for higher yield and minerals of amaranth

Water stress and sweet corn seed production

3 p.; 28 cm

Water stress and sweet corn seed production

1 sheet; 28 cm

Fresh Potato and Meat Preferences by U.S. Region

We develop an econometric model to identify factors that influence fresh-market demand for red, russet, Yukon, and organic potatoes. Explanatory variables include potato price, pork price, chicken price, steak price, consumer income, Body Mass Index, organic penetration rate, number of Whole Foods stores, and U.S. region. We find the strongest demand for organic and Yukon potatoes in New England, for russets in the East South Central region and for reds in the West North Central region. White meats were complements for Yukons and organics while red meats complemented russets and reds. Own-price elasticities ranged from −0.60 for reds to −1.50 for organic potatoes