“Bioshock Infinite” and the phenomenon of legitimate violence: an analysis based on the contributions by Hannah Arendt

Abstract

This research aims at contributing to the understanding of the contemporary “legitimate violence” phenomenon. For this, the paper presents the analysis of the fictional work BioShock Infinite through the philosophy of Hannah Arendt, considering the link between Law and art forms. The methodology employed is that of a bibliographic research, based on Gilbert Durand’s mythocritique, which aims at revealing the imagistic meanings behind art. It resulted in the advancement in understanding the symbology behind the name Columbia, the different forms of manifestation of tyranny and the role of the founding fathers as ancestors for American society. In addition, it resulted in a better perception of how the artistic work symbolizes the erosion of freedom in tyrannical regimes, of how propaganda is an essential tool for lying in politics, of how violence is the weapon of a government without authority, and of how the privileged citizens tolerate the oppression of the less favored people due to the banality of evil, depersonifying them. Finally, it culminates in the idea that necessity operates as one of the worst types of violence and that civil disobedience is the true form of legitimate violence.