The meta-textual and contextual foundations of the concept of Enemy in Carl Schmitt's thought

Abstract

Introduction

The political arena cannot be imagined without conflicts in which enmity is created, and which perpetuates the presence of the enemy in this arena. The internal connection between politics and enmity is very prominent in Carl Schmitt's thought, and examining how the keyword enemy appears in his thought is of great importance. This importance is due to the concept of enemy being at the center of Schmitt's thought, and the issues he raises in relation to this concept. The present article, focusing on contextual and meta-textual foundations, re-reads Schmitt's thoughts in order to gain an understanding of Schmitt's thought in the context of his works and under the concept of enemy. The question of what processes caused the concept of enemy to be at the center of Schmitt's thought, and what goals he pursued, is the focus of the discussions that will be addressed using Skinner's method.

Method

Skinner's intentional hermeneutic method considers the text as a speech act of the author with a specific purpose, and considers its understanding to require attention to the text and the context of its formation in two areas: political and intellectual geography. Skinner establishes a link between the text, the context, and the author, and emphasizes the role of the author's agency and the communicative aspect of the text. In addition to the meaning they convey, he considers texts to have a latent power that shapes speech acts, and understanding them paves the way to achieving the author's purpose. The application of this method is pursued by placing Schmitt's works in the context of the political and intellectual geography surrounding him, and understanding speech acts.

Results and discussion

Liberal thoughts and Weimar Republic are considered the most important hyper-textual variables affecting Schmitt's thought in the two areas of intellectual and political geography. Schmitt considers the crises of the Weimar Republic and the authoritarian governments of this period to be the result of following liberal thoughts and the idea of political romanticism, which is politically neutral and passive in taking a position, while in his opinion, the most important source of political life is based on the principle of what is normal and right. By defining the boundary of the concept of sovereignty in a state of exception, he considers the purest state of exception in the face of the enemy, and the significant moments of politics to coincide with the moments when the enemy is identified with objective clarity as the enemy. The state of exception also provides the conditions in which the state is placed above the law, and Schmitt's goal in line with the authority of the state is achieved. The distinction between friend and enemy as a criterion of The political is considered the peak of the emergence of the concept of enemy in Schmitt's thought. In a clear contrast to liberalism, Schmitt rejects the search for a neutral, conflict-free space where rational understanding and consensus can be achieved through dialogue, as it conflicts with the logic of politics, and sees the outcome of the above process as temporary compromises.

Conclusion

Politics is the arena of contradictions in which enmities are created, developed, and sustained. Understanding and why a wide range of political events occur is possible only under the concept of the enemy and the relations of enmity and friendship. The distinction between friends and enemies is the basis that shapes and gives meaning to the behavior of political actors. The permanent possibility of battle as the ultimate limit of political enmity depends on the concept of the enemy, and this fact is vital for understanding politics.