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The Nazi Experiment, Vol. 8: Carl Schmitt's Politics and the Nazi State

Oct 20, 2025
Dive into the dark political landscape of the Third Reich by exploring Carl Schmitt's profound yet alarming ideas. Discover how Schmitt's friend-enemy distinction legitimized existential conflicts and shaped Nazi ideology. Lindsay reveals the dangers of Schmitt's theories resurfacing in modern politics, emphasizing the push for a strong, unified leadership that echoes Nazi sentiments. From critiques of liberalism to the use of conflict in politics, this discussion unpacks historical and contemporary parallels that are both thought-provoking and chilling.
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INSIGHT

Politics As Friend‑Enemy Distinction

  • Carl Schmitt defines politics by the friend-enemy distinction rather than morality, aesthetics, or economics.
  • This criterion makes politics an existential, warlike domain distinct from other spheres.
INSIGHT

Any Conflict Can Become Political

  • Any strong religious, moral, or economic antithesis can transform into a political one when it groups people as friends or enemies.
  • Schmitt warns this totalizing logic underlies identity politics and factional solidarity.
INSIGHT

Marxism As Friend‑Enemy Politics

  • Schmitt recognizes Marxism as an explicit instantiation of the friend‑enemy model via class struggle.
  • He sees such grouping as capable of totalizing politics and state power.
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