The Justification of Government Violence Against Its Citizens Using Leviathan, On Violence, and Selected Parts from The Human Condition and The Origins of Totalitarianism

Abstract

A government’s use of violence has played an integral part in shaping societies. It has affected the way people think, respond to events, and live. Two authors, Hannah Arendt and Thomas Hobbes discuss some of the impacts of this violence in their works: On Violence and Leviathan. Hobbes, writing from the perspective of the English Civil War, believes that because of the social contract, an authority does have the right to use violence. To him, people within a society have given up their rights to give an authority power in return for a promise of security and stability. However, Hannah Arendt offers a different take on this subject in her work and writes that while a government’s use of violence can be justified, it should be discouraged from using it. Through their writings, both authors highlight the importance of understanding what role the government plays in relation to the rest of society, and highlight the impact that the government’s use of violence has.