The (In)Usefulness of the Arts and Human Sciences in Times of Crisis in Brazil: An Analysis Based on the Political Philosophy of Hannah Arendt

Abstract

Based on the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt, we analyze the extent to which the arts and humanities are essential for the formation of a democratic public space and critical citizens in times of political crisis in Brazil. The objective is to understand the political importance of narrative and the impacts on action and discourse for the formation of public space. The concept of the man of mass, isolated and susceptible to ideological fanaticism. It exposes the importance of the arts and humanities in human relations and the dangers of these being dominated by totalitarian bias movements. It relates the ideas of Hannah Arendt and the impacts of the neoliberal capitalist model on the function of the state and on the private life of the performance society. It explains how hate speech implements cultural wars among the digital masses that favor the proliferation of anti-democratic and authoritarian ideas in Brazil. It shows how Fake News is responsible for the spread of anti-political rhetoric and conspiracy theories that impact the adoption of appropriate measures for the prevention and treatment of the population in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil.