Power and violence under the rule of law: comparative analyses of Hannah Arendt e Niklas Luhmann

Author(s)

Ana Carolina Cavalcanti de Albuquerque

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Direito (FD/SBD)
• Defense date: 2011-04-25

Examining board members

Celso Fernandes Campilongo; Samuel Rodrigues Barbosa; Laurindo Dias Minhoto

• Advisor: Celso Fernandes Campilongo

Abstract

The traditional theory of power identifies State violence as the ultimate expression of political power, to the point of perceiving in the demonstration of physical strength the essence of power. The liaison between political commands and violent attitudes reaches the definition of State itself, establishing it, not without any Historical grounds, as the monopoly of instruments of force. In Law the relation between power and violence leads to overestimating the role of sanction in define a norm as lawful. Even though not as pioneers, Hannah Arendt and Niklas Luhmann defined power as opposite to violence, yet connected. Such similarities induce the question of the possibility of combining both theoretical approaches. This essay compares the works of the authors regarding the bearing of power and violence under the rule of law. As premise, this essay adopts the assumption that it is indeed possible for a theory of State to develop both Arendts and Luhmanns concepts as its own. Different theoretical positions inside and outside polity allow the creation of an asymmetry, which enables the comparison. This essay reaches the conclusion favorable to the compatibility of the authors, due to the similarity of both the concept of action and that of communication. Nonetheless, it recognizes that Arendts concept of power is much broader than Luhmanns. Finally, this essay suggests new approaches to political and legal theories that may pursuit the theoretical path of any or both the authors in comparison. (AU)