“The Intentions of Life”: Philosophical Points of Departure in The Power of the Powerless

Abstract

Philosophical scrutiny of The Power of the Powerless shows that Havel’s key concept “the intentions [or aims] of life” depends on Heidegger’s conception of Dasein’s authenticity, even if Havel replaces Heidegger’s “anticipating death” with “the intentions of life” to fulfill itself in freedom. At the same time, these “intentions” prove to have a self-destructive tendency (as Havel’s plays make very clear). In his political reflections and possibly also in his later political activities, however, this point seems to be underestimated. Political systems do not differ only by the room they allow for free development but also by the degree to and manner by which they protect the intentions of life from their inner tendency to degenerate.