Guerra e pace nella filosofia politica di Miguel Benasayag

Abstract

In Miguel Benasayag’s political philosophy, conflict is not only the ontological foundation of existence, present even at pre-human levels, but – most importantly – the failure to recognise conflict as a constitutive element of reality leads to its exacerbation. This paper argues, in fact, that an authentic scenario for peace can be identified within the situations described by Benasayag, where conflictual social dynamics culminate in the stabilisation of new equilibria capable of emancipating the individuals involved through social or civil achievements. In such a scenario the capacity for action of the subjects involved is enhanced and, as Spinoza suggested, it is accompanied by joyful passions. However, these equilibria do not correspond to a state of eternal peace; instead, they are inevitably dynamic, temporary, and transient, never definitive nor permanently secured, but rather subject to renewal and open to conflictual dynamics.