The Power of the Powerless and Václav Havel’s “Responsibilityism”

Abstract

Havel’s essay The Power of the Powerless is a key expression of Havel’s views on responsibility, particularly as personified in the greengrocer taking responsibility for his actions and his decision to authentically “live in truth.” Havel’s “responsibilityism” undergirds his argument that the powerless do indeed have power—although assuming this heavy responsibility is not for the faint-hearted. As a defense of “bottom-up” politics and a call to action in both authoritarian and depersonalized bureaucratic regimes, moreover, the essay remains relevant today, an important contribution to the canon of political theory.