Revolution, foundation and freedom in Hannah Arendt's thought

• Grant number: 13/02177-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): August 25, 2013
• Effective date (End): June 24, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - Ethics
• Principal Investigator: Alberto Ribeiro Gonçalves de Barros
• Grantee: Mariana de Mattos Rubiano
• Supervisor: Andreas Kalyvas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: New School for Social Research, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/22586-1 - Revolution, foundation and freedom in Hannah Arendt, BP.DR

Abstract

My doctoral research aims at discussing Hannah Arendt's understanding about the revolutionary events. Specifically, it aims at clarifying the political change from antiquity to modernity pointed by Arendt, discussing the human activities change caused by the rise of social realm which moved action, work and labor of their original location. In Human Condition, Arendt deals with reversal of the hierarchal order within the vita activa. According to her, the modern events elevated first work and then labor to the highest range of human activities. Despite this, in On Revolution Arendt points two moments in Modernity when the men were aware about the importance of the action. In American and French revolutions acting appeared as most valuable human activity. This does not mean that Arendt forgot the changing in Modern Age, in On Revolution she analyzes the new relationship between action, work and labor caused by the rise of social realm. The stories about these two revolutions involve new connection and tensions between acting and violence, freedom and liberation, power and administration. (AU)