Colonization and the Political: A Comparison of Fanon and Schmitt (Essay Sample)

Colonization and the Political: A Comparison of Fanon and Schmitt Student’s Name Class Information Date According to Frantz Fanon's renowned book "The Wretched of the Earth," the connection between colonizers and colonized is nuanced and intensely political. The question of whether this connection may be considered "political" in the sense of the word as defined by eminent German political theorist Carl Schmitt, famed for his idea of the friend/enemy dichotomy, arises in this context. This article will look at how well Fanon's interpretation of the colonizer-colonized relationship jives with Schmitt's theory of the political and where it diverges. We'll look at how Fanon interacts with and reacts to Schmitt's theories and analyze how Fanon's own political theory might ben as an expansion, complication, or denial of Schmitt's theory. This will allow us to explore the larger philosophical and political discussions surrounding colonialism, decolonization, and the dynamics of authority and violence in the contemporary world. By claiming that the colonized are not merely the adversary of the colonizer but rather are oppressed and taken advantage of by the colonizer, Fanon develops and deepens this argument. He argues that the colonized are not given the same rights and advantages as the colonizers and that the colonizers view the colonized as a danger just by their existence. Additionally, Fanon contends that colonized people actively oppose and fight against their oppression rather than simply being passive victims of colonialism. The colonizer/colonized relationship in Frantz Fanon's work The works of psychiatrist and philosopher Frantz Fanon, who was raised in Martinique, are most known for describing the psychological and political impacts of colonialism on the colonized. Fanon offers a scathing analysis of colonialism and its effects on the colonised in his seminal book "The Wretched of the Earth," contending that it is a violent and dehumanising civilization that robs the colonised of their respect and freedom. According to Fanon, the relationship between colonisers and colonised is essentially asymmetrical, with colonisers retaining all the power and the colonised being reduced to a subordinate and weak position, "The colonized man finds his freedom in and through violence.". He claims that colonized people are denied access to their history and culture and are instead compelled to follow the ideals and principles of the conquerors. Fanon contends that the colonized must reject this identity and fight for their freedom to regain their dignity and humanity because this forced identity contributes to further demeaning and enslaving the colonized.[Fanon, Frantz. 1961. The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press, 35.] Carl Schmitt's theory of the political: German political thinker and lawyer Carl Schmitt is renowned for his understanding of the "political." Schmitt claims that politics relates to the division between friends and enemies and that it is this division that establishes the limits of the political sphere. Schmitt contends that the idea of authority, from which the concept of politics derives, is the ultimate arbiter of who is an ally and who is a foe. In discussions regarding the nature of the country and the use of violence in politics, Schmitt's theory has had a significant impact. According to Schmitt, the division between friends and enemies is the essential category of politics and serves as the basis for defining the political community. Schmitt contends that the distinction between a friend and an enemy is founded less on moral or ethical principles and more on the understanding that an enemy threatens the political community's ability to continue existing. The sovereign is therefore given the authority to take whatever steps are forced to defend the society during a state of emergency as a result of this acknowledgment. Schmitt's theory has been hotly discussed and has profoundly influenced political philosophy, but it has also come under fire for emphasizing the importance of violence and marginalization in politics. We will look at how Fanon interacts with and reacts to Schmitt's theory of politics in the parts that follow, as well as how Fanon's unique political theory might be seen as an expansion, complication, or refusal of Schmitt's views.[Schmitt, Carl. 1932. The Concept of the Political. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.] The friend/enemy distinction in Schmitt's theory The division between a friend and an enemy is the essential category that establishes the limits of the political community according to Carl Schmitt's theory of politics. Schmitt claims that this distinction is not founded on moral or ethical principles but rather on the understanding that the adversary threatens the political community's ability to continue existing.[Schmitt. The Concept of the Political.] Schmitt views the distinction between friends and enemies as a fluid one that depends on the circumstances and the perceived threat to the community. This implies that when the perceived danger evolves, the opponent may also. Schmitt's theory has influenced discussions on the structure of the state and the use of violence in politics, but it has also come under fire for emphasizing exclusion and underplaying the importance of moral concerns in the democratic process.[Schmitt. The Concept of the Political.] Fanon's engagement with Schmitt's political theory It is obvious from Fanon's study of the colonizer/colonized connection that he interacts with and reacts to Schmitt's notion of the political. Fanon acknowledges the importance of the friend/enemy divide in determining the political environment, just as Schmitt did. Schmitt and Fanon both comprehend this divide, but they do it in very different ways. Schmitt views the enemy as a danger to the political society's ability to survive, whereas Fanon contends that the true threat to the colonized, who are battling for their freedom and dignity, comes from the colonizers. The colonial structure itself, according to Fanon, must be destroyed for the colonized to achieve true freedom. This adversary is not an outside power. "Colonialism is not satisfied with simply stating that men are equal; it goes further and states that they are equal. It is no longer a matter of the equality of rights, but of the identification of being."[Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, 65.] How Fanon extends, complicates, and/or rejects Schmitt's theory Frantz Fanon's account of the relationship between colonizers and colonized peoples may be viewed as political in Carl Schmitt's use of the word since it entails the use of force and the establishment of a separate line between colonizers and colonial people. The idea of politics is described in Schmitt's theory of the friend/enemy distinction as the existence of an adversary that must be overcome in order to maintain and sustain the sovereign state. Schmitt's idea of the political is, however, extended and complicated in a number of ways by Fanon's theory. First, according to Fanon, the colonized are not just the adversary of the colonizer; rather, the colonizer opp...