The Power of the Polis. Remarks on Arendt’s Critique of Plato’s Political Philosophy
Abstract
One of the most innovative traits of Hannah Arendt’s thought is her original conception of political power. In opposition to the Western philosophical-political tradition, the author develops a positive notion of power, as the result of collective action, while she dissociates power from violence. This article aims to present an analysis of the Arendtian concept of power and a detailed reconstruction of its genesis. In particular, I will examine the link between the elaboration of the concept of power, the critique of Plato’s Political Philosophy and the interpretation of the classical Greek world. In this way, I will demonstrate how the polis works in her thought as a conceptual laboratory for the renewal of the modern political categories.
Downloads
Article download
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Res Publica. Revista de Historia de las Ideas Políticas is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.