Poder e Violência: Hannah Arendt e a Nova Esquerda

Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze the reflexion undertaken by Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) on the
phenomena of power and violence as well as her critique of the New Left, which is presented
systematically in her essay On Violence (1969). The distinction between power and violence thus
comprises a central theme in her political thought, which has had as a motivation for her reflexion the
Student Rebellion of 1968, the Vietnam war and the role of violence within the New Left. Indeed, the
power, on Arendt's account, is inherent to every political community and it is a result of the ability to
act jointly. Furthermore, the violence, that is instrumental, is based upon the means-end category and
whenever stablished within the political sphere becomes responsible for causing the power to vanish.
Therefore, power and violence are opposite subjects: as one becomes absolute, the other vanishes. By
being in touch with Arendt's thinking we come to realize that her innovative concept of power has
been forged having as reference the tradition of Greek polis, which, from Arendt's understanding, casts
light on the defeat of the values of the modern Politics, as well as on the need of restoring the
difference between public and private spheres to cause the originally political phenomenom to emerge.
By putting her thoughts with those of other authors, we consider that Arednt's analysis of power goes
completely beyond the conflicting constituents of political life and its traditional institutions.
Moreover, the rejection of the extreme action of the New Left, by the author, largely seems to
reinforce the chorus that refuses and rejects the utopia, which means, in the "end of ideology" context,
the negation of the socialist perspective in behalf, once again, of the American "democracy" and
"pluralism".
Keywords: Hannah Arendt, power, violence and New Left
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