Abstract
In Violence and the Sacred, René Girard argues that vengeance is a vicious circle that is broken only when the power to seek reprisal is consolidated in a sovereign authority. Drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, and in particular her concept of natality, I argue that Girard fails to appreciate how revenge is an act that may be repeated with a difference. When this possibility is admitted, we need no longer depend upon sovereign authority to disrupt the cycle of vengeance and, practicing humble resolve, may be surprised by what unfolds.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.