Counterproposal Response/The Power of an Idea

[bobberino]

Kate, I would have to go along with your counter theory to Schmitt's because the way I read it in the book, Schnitt says anything that can sway the majority of the populace towards one decision is political. Schmitt's uses the prime example of the friend/enemy relationship to demonstrate how this majority can be achieved. In order for a large

Comments

Ideas as enemy

[jentaber]

Ideas do not constitute a Schmittian enemy. The way I saw it, in fact, was that ideas were what must specifically be left out of the concept of the political. Wars should not be fought over ideas, they should be fought over practical matters (says Schmitt). That's where I see the problem with his argument, because, as you point out, the current war in Iraq is largely about "ideas". AIDs, on the other hand, could perhaps be an enemy because it does pose a direct threat and it is not about any sort of ideals or morals. AIDs consitutes an issue of life or death, and this is the case when Schmitt tells us we are allowed to fight.