Abstract
The chapter focuses on the place of dissent and especially of civil disobedience in the political thought of Hannah Arendt. The chapter argues that civil disobedience is not a moral phenomenon, but a special case of political action in an Arendtian sense.
Civil disobedience is neither identical to an act of conscientious objection, nor must be a disobedient willing to accept punishment. Although civil disobedience is a dissenting action consisting of transgressin a law, it may be a useful tool of approaching public consensus.
The very action of civil disobedience is based on the general consent of every citizen and on the mutual agreement and promise that constitute a political body. FInally, the chapter argues that disobedience significantly differs from a mere criminal activity.
While the success of a criminal action is based on the secrecy of goals and actions, civil disobedience is a publicly visible communicative action whose aim is to change the world and purse some alleged public good.