friend–enemy distinction

E532820

The friend–enemy distinction is Carl Schmitt’s influential concept in political theory that defines the essence of the political as the fundamental opposition between allies and adversaries.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf key concept in Carl Schmitt’s political thought
political concept
alsoInterpretedAs a normative endorsement of conflictual politics
articulatedIn German language
associatedWith decisionism
political existentialism
sovereignty theory
centralOpposition enemy
friend
characterizes the political as based on the distinction between friend and enemy
contrastedWith economic reductionism in politics
liberal pluralism
moral universalism
coreIdeaOf The Concept of the Political NERFINISHED
criterionFor identifying political groupings
criticizedFor downplaying moral and legal constraints
promoting antagonistic politics
debatedIn international relations theory
legal theory
security studies
defines the essence of the political
domain political philosophy
political theory
emphasizes existential conflict between groups
firstMajorPublication Der Begriff des Politischen NERFINISHED
focusesOn collective entities rather than individuals
formulatedBy Carl Schmitt NERFINISHED
historicalContext Weimar Republic NERFINISHED
interwar Germany NERFINISHED
implies possibility of conflict
possibility of physical killing
influenced Chantal Mouffe NERFINISHED
Giorgio Agamben NERFINISHED
agonistic democracy theories
contemporary discussions of sovereignty
post-war political theory debates
interpretedAs a descriptive criterion of the political
keyTermFor understanding Schmitt’s critique of liberalism
originalTerm Freund–Feind-Unterscheidung
presupposes group identity formation
possibility of existential threat between groups
relatedTo sovereign decision
state of exception
usedToDefine the political as distinct from the aesthetic
the political as distinct from the economic
the political as distinct from the moral
yearFormulated 1932

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Carl Schmitt notableIdea friend–enemy distinction