Abstract

QUINTANA, LAURA. Politics and Life in Hannah Arendt's Thought. Rev. cienc. polít. (Santiago) [online]. 2009, vol.29, n.1, pp. 185-200. ISSN 0718-090X.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-090X2009000100010.

Although Arendt never explicitly used the term biopolitics, in her analysis of totalitarianism and in her assessments of modernity a negative notion ofbiopolitics seems to emerge. However, according to Agamben, Arendt could not detach herself from that negative notion, while Esposito considers Arednt's concept of life to be limited, thus inhibiting her from thinking through the proper link between politics and life. This essay aims to delve into Arendt's notion of life in order to discuss if she could adequately confront negative biopolitics and if she was able to open up the possibility of positive biopolitics, one that accepts the lives of individuals in their singularity.

Keywords : Arendt; biopolitics; life; politics; plurality.