Responsabilidade coletiva: o homem como ser político à luz de Hannah Arendt

Abstract

This work investigates the concept of collective responsibility based on the philosophy of Hannah Arendt, exploring its ethical, political, and pedagogical implications for shaping the human being as a political agent. Drawing on the dialogue with philosopher Joel Feinberg and his notion of “responsibility without contributory fault,” the study examines how Arendt reinterprets this idea in works such as Responsibility and Judgment, Eichmann in Jerusalem, and The Life of the Mind. The research emphasizes the importance of individual and collective responsibility in the public sphere, especially in light of the historical challenges posed by twentieth-century totalitarian regimes. Through the analysis of Adolf Eichmann’s trial, Arendt develops the concept of the “banality of evil,” showing how the absence of thinking enables moral participation in atrocious acts. The monograph argues that political responsibility goes beyond legal guilt and requires a constant exercise of critical awareness, judgment, and ethical action. It concludes that recovering the notion of collective responsibility is essential for building active citizenship committed to human dignity and the common good