Hannah Arendt: Civil Disobedience As An Expression Of Polititcal Freedom In Dark TImes

: the aim of this paper is to analyze Arendt's reflections on civil disobedience. According to Arendt, this type of action cannot be confused with conscientious objection. In the specific context of the American Republic, civil disobedience is a collective action that it is compatible with the spirit of the constitutional laws, due to the citizens can assert their freedom of dissent against unjust measures, when these are taken by the government in power. In this way, for Arendt, civil disobedience promotes the creation of a public space for the exercise of citizen freedom in the face of the dangers of depoliticization, when these are contained in governmental agendas that seek to satisfy the interests of certain political parties and pressure groups. From this perspective, I try to explain how this type of action reaffirms the power of citizenship and it breaks with social conformism; this action opens public spaces for direct participation and revitalizes political life in the context of democracies in crisis.