For or Against the People? Republican Violence in Arendt and Machiavelli

Abstract

This paper explores and analyzes Hannah Arendt's and Niccolò Machiavelli's treatment of violence in republics. It seeks to answer the question: what is the proper role of violence in republican governments? After an examination of the author's arguments, it concludes that violence should be avoided whenever possible and extremely limited in scope when it must be used. Given historical developments, Arendt's solution is judged superior to Machiavelli's.