On the link between law and violence. Tentative discussion between walter benjamin and axel honneth

Authors

  • Francisco Manuel Abril CONICET; Centro de Investigación de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

Keywords:

Violence, Law, Critique, Walter Benjamin, Axel Honneth

Abstract

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.

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Published

2017-03-22

How to Cite

Abril, F. M. (2017). On the link between law and violence. Tentative discussion between walter benjamin and axel honneth. Revista Pilquen. Sección Ciencias Sociales, 16(2). Retrieved from https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/Sociales/article/view/1443