The Leviathan in the XXI Century: a study from Hobbes of the USA Patriot Act

• Grant number: 18/06963-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: June 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Duarte Fernandes dos Passos
• Grantee: Luís Felipe Mendes Felício
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In almost immediately reaction to the attacks of September 11, 2002, the United States of America launched the USA Patriot Act, a law with a set of amendments in previous laws that gave rise to the constitution of a state of exception in American soil. With fear for fuel, the majority of the local population supported this measure that promised security and fight against terrorism in exchange for the delivery of freedoms, human rights and civil rights. A brief review of the US Constitution and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brings up contradictions and violations of the Patriot Act to these documents. The research project elaborated in this document aims, through a documentary analysis of the aforementioned items plus bibliographical analysis of academic articles of national and international literature, to demonstrate the inconsistency between the USA Patriot Act and the values affirmed by its country, obtaining, through this, an interesting reflection to be made with Hobbes's Leviathan to the contemporary political scene. (AU)