Power, Violence, War and Pacifism: P. Ricoeur

Abstract

The   contemporary   thinker   P.   Ricoeur   was   always   worried,

partly   due   to   his   vital   experiences   related   to   both   world

wars,  for  the  problem  of  the  evil.  In  this  study,  after  laying

the   foundations   from   which   the   author   departs   in   his

exposition  of  the  evil,  I  will  approach  its  political  dimension,

specially  the  relation  between  power  and  violence,  State  and

violence,   so   much   to   internal   level   (the   punitive   power   of

the  institutions  with  regard  to  the  citizens)  as  to  external  one

(when  the  leaders  of  the  State  decide  to  declare  a  war  and  to

imply,   directly   or   indirectly,   the   civilians).   Ricoeur   rejects

the   war   in   general   and   its   destructive   power;   he   is,   at   first,

for   the   pacifism,   but   he   analyzes   that   attitude   going   into

detail  about   all  its  implications,  so  that  it  does  not  limit  itself

to   remain   at   the   level   of   mere   isolated   acts   with   uncertain

efficacy,  but  goes  further,  leaving  its  trace  in  History.