Judgment reconsidered. Political decision in Hannah Arendt, between politics and aesthetics

Abstract

Taking a political decision: what does this mean? And why has political decision, if it has, an aesthetic dimension? These questions will be tackled in the thought of one of the most influential political thinkers of the 20th century: Hannah Arendt. I will develop the aforementioned issues according to a short reconsideration of some pivotal issues of her political thought. Firstly, I will consider what kind of experience politics is for Arendt. Secondly, I will consider what kind of activity political action is for her. Thirdly, and lastly, I will consider why political actions claim for a form of judging that corresponds to aesthetic judgment, in the Kantian acceptation of this concept. I believe an idea of political decision can emerge through the reconsideration of these issues in Arendt’s thought.