The Political Identity and the Friend-Enemy Distinction

The foundation of the political lies in the friend-enemy distinction, according to Karl Schmidt. In politics, you are always positioning yourself on one side of a duality, with friends on one side and enemies on the other. This concept is based on Hegel's idea that identity needs an opposite to exist. Holding a political position implies the existence of a group that disagrees with you. As Leo Strauss said, man needs dominion and can be unified against other men. Politics is not the constituent principle of order, but a condition of the state.