From Invisible Evil To Consensual Evil: A Look At The Banality Of Evil And Crimes Against Humanity

Abstract

This article reflects on the possible relations between the concept of banality of evil, developed by the philosopher Hannah Arendt, and crimes against humanity, focusing on the institutional, bureaucratic, and cultural mechanisms of criminal states to systematize and, simultaneously, invisibilize crime. To this end, Hannah Arendt's (re)conceptualization of evil will first be introduced, continuing through the different political processes of trivialization, paying special attention to the concepts of obedience and thoughtlessness. Subsequently, it will explore crimes against humanity and their essential characteristics within international penal law, concluding with a reflection upon international criminal frameworks as the main response to trivial evil.