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While Our Students Are Sleeping: the Theory & Politics Podcastideas at the intersection of business, politics, and the humanities Author: Rolf Strom-Olsen & Reed van Schenk
A podcast with a couple of political theory professors that explores the thinkers, ideas and debates that inform our modern political landscape. rolfstromolsen.substack.com Language: en Genres: News, Philosophy, Politics, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Carl Schmitt's Concept of the Political
Wednesday, 19 November, 2025
This third episode of our new podcast continues our exploration of the thought of Carl Schmitt (1888–1985), the notorious German jurist and political theorist of the Nazi regime.We discuss Carl Schmitt’s 1932 treatise The Concept of the Political and suggest that his definition of politics – as the existential distinction between “Friend and Enemy” – is highly relevant to the volatile polarization of modern Western politics. We examine how Schmitt criticized liberal democracy for trying to replace decisive sovereign power with endless parliamentary debate and economic administration, a process he viewed as “depoliticizing” and ultimately weak because it ignores the reality of conflict. We also apply this lens to current events, including the rise of right-wing populism and the recent “healthcare assassin” case to explore whether liberal democratic societies are reverting to a “Schmittian” state where political groups are once again defining themselves by who they are willing to fight and negate rather than with who they can find political compromise. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rolfstromolsen.substack.com
