№ 5 - 2003
Malikova Yu.O.
The Problem of Correlation of Politics and Morals in Hanna Arendt’s Philosophy

The author investigates, on the basis of detailed analysis of H.Arendt’s philosophical outlook, her ideas of political sphere and political action in their correlation with morals. As is demonstrated in the article, Arendt’s attitudes do not fall under either of the two traditional approaches to the solution of the problem of politics’ and morals’ correlation. It is her stressing of the private character of moral activity, as well as rejection of universals, including ethical ones, that distinguishes her from adepts of normative conceptions, and her accentuation of freedom as category, central for the comprehension of politics — from adherents of the instrumental-rationalist interpretation. As for her own variant of solution of the correlation problem, Arendt finds it in ethicizing political theory itself, in a certain sense. Politics treated by the researcher as sphere where freedom reigns, not violence and necessity, is far from just an idealistic abstraction; it is, instead, an interpretation filled with profound practical sense, in the author’s estimation. Experience of non-violent politics clearly demonstrates that even under the conditions of a conflict, political methods need not necessarily be bound to the categories of purpose and means and that effective political activity may appeal to man over everything “instrumental” and “objective” without losing thus its qualities of political activity.