A origem da violência no poder estatal em Hannah Arendt

Abstract

This final project addresses a fundamental question in contemporary political philosophy: the relationship between power and violence within the state. The work is based on a critical analysis of contemporary events that highlight the excessive use of force by state agents, exemplified by the emblematic "Genivaldo case," which occurred in May 2022 in the state of Sergipe. The Genivaldo case represents a milestone in the discussion on police violence in Brazil. Genivaldo de Jesus Santos, a 38-year-old Black man with mental health issues, was the victim of a police stop that resulted in his death from mechanical asphyxiation and respiratory failure. During the operation, federal highway patrol officers confined him in the trunk of a patrol car and deployed tear gas and pepper spray, turning the space into a "gas chamber." This episode generated national and international commotion, becoming a symbol of the abuse of state power and institutionalized violence. The research is anchored in Hannah Arendt's (1906- 1975), political philosophy, particularly her conceptual distinction between power and violence. For Arendt, genuine power is based on consensus and collective participation, constituting a legitimizing force that emerges from the joint action of citizens. In contrast, violence manifests itself as a coercive instrument that, paradoxically, emerges when power collapses or is in crisis. Arendt's analysis of totalitarianism, developed in "The Origins of Totalitarianism," provides the theoretical framework for understanding how political regimes can instrumentalize violence as a mechanism of social control. The work draws parallels between historical totalitarian regimes, such as German Nazism, and contemporary manifestations of state violence.