Hannah Arendt Violence Quotations

The more dubious and uncertain an instrument violence has become in international relations, the more it has gained in reputation and appeal in domestic affairs, specifically in the matter of revolution.

The extreme form of power is All against One, the extreme form of violence is One against All.

Violence is an expression of impotence.

Violence can always destroy power; out of the barrel of a gun grows the most effective command, resulting in the most instant and perfect obedience. What never can grow out of it is power.

Legitimacy, when challenged, bases itself on an appeal to the past, while justification relates to an end that lies in the future. Violence can be justifiable, but it never will be legitimate.

Generally speaking, violence always arises out of impotence. It is the hope of those who have no power ...

Violence can destroy power; it is utterly incapable of creating it.