In recent years, commentators and scholars have increasingly turned to the work of Carl Schmitt to make sense of Donald Trump’s brand of populist politics. Schmitt, a controversial German legal theorist and critic of liberal democracy, is best known for his assertion that “the political” is founded on the distinction between friend and enemy, and …
Introduction Nationalism and patriotism are two terms that are frequently invoked in political discourse, often to distinguish between what is seen as a negative, aggressive form of national pride (nationalism) and a positive, virtuous form of the same sentiment (patriotism). Nationalism is typically associated with a strong attachment to one’s ethnic or cultural identity, often …
Why Paul Gottfried’s Work on Fascism and Antifascism Deserves Attention In contemporary political discourse, the term fascism is frequently wielded as a rhetorical weapon, often detached from its historical and theoretical meaning. The word, once used to describe a specific political movement in early 20th-century Europe, has been stretched beyond recognition and applied indiscriminately to …
Part 2: A Dialogue on Order and Justice between Aristotle and Huntington Contrasting Huntington's Political Order to Aristotle’s on regimes. Samuel P. Huntington and Aristotle provide two distinct yet insightful frameworks for understanding political systems. While Huntington’s Political Order in Changing Societies focuses on institutional strength as a determinant of political stability, Aristotle’s Politics introduces …
Part 1: Huntington’s Framework for Political Order Samuel P. Huntington’s contributions to political science remain foundational in understanding the development and stability of political systems. His book Political Order in Changing Societies challenges the assumption that economic modernization automatically leads to stable democracies. Instead, Huntington argues that modernization can cause instability, disorder, and even political …
Philippe Bénéton, a French political philosopher, offers a profound exploration of political regimes in his seminal work, Les Régimes Politiques. This text delves into the nature, structure, and implications of different forms of government, providing a comprehensive, historically grounded, and philosophically rich analysis. Bénéton’s approach is deeply influenced by classical political theory, particularly the works …
Introduction The Greek polis and the Roman civitas represent some of the most distinctive forms of political and social organization in history. Yet, they are often misunderstood when examined through the lens of the modern state. Modern conceptions of the state—centralized, bureaucratic, and sovereign—emerged from the intellectual revolutions of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Thinkers like …
Max Weber's analysis of capitalism has long been celebrated for its depth and insight, but one of his most striking and underexplored assertions concerns the profound Christian origins of capitalism. Weber argued that these Christian foundations were not merely incidental to capitalism's rise but central to its structure, functioning, and ethical constraints. His recognition of …
The doctrine of agape expanded ethical concern beyond immediate kinship groups to encompass all humanity, advocating for a universal sense of brotherhood and care. This shift significantly departed from the exclusive, honor-centric values of earlier pagan traditions, focusing instead on compassion and communal support.
For Lefort, writing and language are not neutral communication tools but are imbued with political significance. They are symbolic practices that both reflect and shape the social order. In democratic societies, writing is of special importance because it embodies the principles of openness, debate, and contestation that define democratic life. In this context, writing becomes …
