ABSTRACT
The problem raised at the end of the last chapter with respect to “Schmitt’s challenge” in a sense sends us back to a reconsideration of Clausewitz’ formula “war is the pursuit of policy by other means.” Schmitt wants to argue for a constitutive notion of violence at the heart of the political; and if the “other means” of Clausewitz’ formula refers to the means of violence, then again we face the question of whether a constitutive notion of violence can be articulated that would challenge a purely instrumental conception. Developing this question in detail will be the task of this chapter.
