The Concept of the Political

What is "The Concept of the Political" by Carl Schmitt about?

• Central Thesis: The book explores the nature and definition of the political, arguing that the core of politics is the distinction between friend and enemy.
• Critique of Liberalism: Schmitt critiques liberalism for its attempts to neutralize and depoliticize public life, claiming that true politics cannot be eliminated.
• Historical Context: Written in the interwar period, the book reflects on the crisis of parliamentary democracy and the rise of new political forms.
• Expanded Edition: This edition includes Schmitt’s 1929 essay "The Age of Neutralizations and Depoliticizations," Leo Strauss’s critical notes, and a foreword by Tracy B. Strong.

Why should I read "The Concept of the Political" by Carl Schmitt?

• Foundational Political Theory: The book is a cornerstone of 20th-century political thought, influencing debates on sovereignty, democracy, and the limits of liberalism.
• Contemporary Relevance: Schmitt’s analysis of the friend-enemy distinction and critique of liberalism remain pertinent in understanding modern political conflicts.
• Intellectual Debate: The book is widely discussed and critiqued by major thinkers, including Leo Strauss, Jacques Derrida, and Chantal Mouffe.
• Insight into Political Identity: Schmitt’s work challenges readers to reconsider the seriousness and stakes of political life, especially in times of crisis.

What are the key takeaways from "The Concept of the Political" by Carl Schmitt?

• Friend-Enemy Distinction: The essence of the political is the grouping of people into friends and enemies, which can lead to existential conflict.
• Limits of Liberalism: Liberalism’s attempt to depoliticize society is both impossible and dangerous, as it ignores the inherent conflicts in human nature.
• Central Domains of History: Schmitt traces how Western societies have shifted their central concerns from theology to metaphysics, morality, economics, and finally technology.
• Politics as Destiny: The political is an inescapable aspect of human life, rooted in the potential for conflict and the need for decision.

How does Carl Schmitt define "the political" in "The Concept of the Political"?

• Friend vs. Enemy: Schmitt defines the political by the distinction between friend and enemy, which is more fundamental than moral, aesthetic, or economic distinctions.
• Public, Not Private: The enemy is always a public enemy, representing a real possibility of conflict between groups, not individuals.
• Existential Stakes: The political involves the potential for physical conflict, even war, making it a matter of life and death.
• Not Just Another Sphere: Schmitt argues that the political is not just one domain among others but is foundational to the existence of the state.

What is Schmitt’s critique of liberalism in "The Concept of the Political"?

• Negation of the Political: Schmitt claims that liberalism seeks to eliminate the political by promoting neutrality, compromise, and endless discussion.
• Inadequacy in Crisis: He argues that liberalism is unable to deal with existential threats or make decisive choices when faced with real enemies.
• Hidden Politics: Liberalism does not abolish conflict but merely hides it, leading to insincerity and a lack of genuine political engagement.
• Liberalism’s Failure: Schmitt sees the collapse of liberalism as opening the way for new, more decisive forms of politics.

What is the "friend-enemy" distinction and why is it central in "The Concept of the Political"?

• Defining Politics: The friend-enemy distinction is the criterion that defines the political, according to Schmitt.
• Group Identity: It is about collective identities, where groups define themselves in opposition to others.
• Potential for Conflict: This distinction implies the ever-present possibility of conflict, including war, as the ultimate expression of political antagonism.
• Beyond Morality: Schmitt insists this is not a moral or ethical distinction, but an existential one that determines the fate of groups and states.

How does Schmitt describe the historical process of "neutralizations and depoliticizations" in Western society?

• Shifting Central Domains: Schmitt outlines a progression from theological, to metaphysical, to moral, to economic, and finally to technical domains as the focus of Western societies.
• Search for Neutral Ground: Each shift represents an attempt to find a neutral, conflict-free domain to resolve disputes.
• Failure of Neutrality: Every new "neutral" domain eventually becomes another arena for conflict, showing the impossibility of true depoliticization.
• Age of Technology: In the 20th century, technology is seen as the ultimate neutral domain, but Schmitt argues it too becomes a tool for political struggle.

What is the significance of "The Age of Neutralizations and Depoliticizations" (1929) included in this edition?

• Contextual Expansion: This essay provides historical and philosophical context for Schmitt’s main argument by tracing the evolution of central domains in European thought.
• Critique of Technological Society: Schmitt warns that the rise of technology as a central domain leads to the loss of personal decision and sovereignty.
• Political Implications: The essay reinforces the idea that attempts to neutralize politics only shift conflict to new arenas, rather than eliminating it.
• Call for Renewal: Schmitt ends with a call for the West to recognize and confront the new forms of conflict arising from technological and political changes.

How does Leo Strauss critique and interpret Schmitt’s arguments in his "Notes on The Concept of the Political"?

• Polemic Against Liberalism: Strauss highlights that Schmitt’s argument is fundamentally a polemic against liberalism and its depoliticizing tendencies.
• The State of Nature: Strauss connects Schmitt’s concept of the political to the Hobbesian state of nature, emphasizing the ever-present potential for conflict.
• Limits of Schmitt’s Critique: Strauss suggests that Schmitt’s critique remains within the horizon of liberalism and does not fully escape its assumptions.
• Affirmation of Seriousness: Strauss interprets Schmitt’s affirmation of the political as a defense of the seriousness and existential stakes of human life against a world of mere entertainment or neutrality.

How does Schmitt’s association with Nazism affect the interpretation of "The Concept of the Political"?

• Biographical Context: Schmitt joined the Nazi Party and was involved in its legal and political apparatus, which complicates his intellectual legacy.
• Continuity of Thought: Critics note that Schmitt’s core ideas about law, sovereignty, and the friend-enemy distinction did not fundamentally change during his Nazi period.
• Ethical Dilemmas: The book raises questions about the relationship between a thinker’s political actions and their theoretical work.
• Ongoing Debate: Scholars continue to debate how much Schmitt’s political affiliations should influence the reading and use of his ideas.

What are some of the most important quotes from "The Concept of the Political" and what do they mean?

• "The specific political distinction to which political actions and motives can be reduced is that between friend and enemy." — This encapsulates Schmitt’s core definition of the political.
• "If a people no longer possesses the energy or the will to maintain itself in the sphere of politics, the latter will not thereby vanish from the world. Only a weak people will disappear." — Schmitt emphasizes the existential stakes of political life.
• "There is no rational purpose, no norm however correct, no program however exemplary, no social ideal however beautiful, no legitimacy or legality that can justify men’s killing one another for its own sake." — Schmitt acknowledges the limits of rational or moral justification in the face of political conflict.
• "Ab integro nascitur ordo." — Quoting Virgil, Schmitt suggests that order is born from renewal, hinting at the cyclical nature of political life and conflict.

How has "The Concept of the Political" by Carl Schmitt influenced modern political theory and debate?

• Revival of Interest: The book has seen a resurgence in academic and political discussions, especially regarding the limits of liberalism and the nature of sovereignty.
• Influence on Critics and Supporters: Thinkers across the political spectrum, from the Left (e.g., Chantal Mouffe) to the Right, have engaged with Schmitt’s ideas.
• Ongoing Relevance: Schmitt’s analysis of political identity, conflict, and the inadequacy of liberal neutrality continues to inform debates on populism, democracy, and international relations.
• Controversial Legacy: The book’s association with Schmitt’s Nazi past and its radical critique of liberalism make it both influential and contentious in contemporary discourse.