Vita Activa e Totalitarismo em Hannah Arendt

Abstract

This research is a study of the elements that crystallized and allowed the rise of totalitarian movements in the 20th century. This research aims, based on the political philosophy developed by Hannah Arendt, to understand the experiences that lead to the emergence of totalitarianism, as well as the possibilities of resuming active life in the construction of democratic sociability. For this purpose, we adopted a philosophical hermeneutic approach, changing the original meaning of the thought developed by the German philosopher. Thus, we will address Arendt's characterization of totalitarianism, the implications of Vita Activa's activities for modern society and we will reflect on the possibilities of building democratic sociability in the contemporary moment. In order to theoretically support this research, the main references were the work The Human Condition (1958) and The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951). In summary, the German political thinker defines totalitarianism as a search for total domination, that is, the complete suppression of public and private dimensions, seeking total human submission. Returning to tradition, we see the loss of the distinction between public and private and the rise of the social as fundamental moments for understanding the totalitarian emergence. Finally, it uses Kant's aesthetic philosophy to demonstrate the importance of human plurality. In short, based on the understanding that the ability of human beings to communicate, to express ideas and opinions, requires a sense of community, after all we share the world with other human beings