Abstract

ABRIL, Francisco Manuel. On the link between law and violence: Tentative discussion between Walter Benjamin and Axel Honneth. Rev. Pilquen. secc. cienc. soc. [online]. 2013, vol.16, n.2, pp.00-00. ISSN 1851-3123.

My work develops three fundamental axes. First, I seek to clarify the link between violence and law that Walter Benjamin establishes in his essay "Critique of Violence". Secondly, I discuss the interpretation that Axel Honneth made in a 2006 article. His interpretation is critical and question the totalizing conception of law articulated in the text of Benjamin. The conclusion is that Benjamin incurs in a "terrorist" concept of law which is complemented with an idea of "theocratic" violence and "eschatological" vision of history. The impression arises Honneth reading is that "Critique of violence" hardly contributes to understand the processes of social struggle which nowadays refer to the expansion of rights. Finally, I point out some problems I find in Honneth's reading and dislocations that operate within the intellectual production of Benjamin and prevent further attempts to read. This doesn't mean failing to recognize the difficulties of Benjamin's text and how it relates law, violence and social struggle.

Keywords : Violence; Law; Critique; Walter Benjamin; Axel Honneth.

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