Defining the Friend

I think this weekend we were presented with a positive definition of Schmitt’s idea of the friend, or, rather, since he did not delve into the concept much, the opposite of the enemy. Whether or not the snow storm can be termed a political enemy in Schmitt’s worldview, it had a uniting effect on people. The storm changed normal human relations and interactions. During the storm it seemed that everyone became a Good Samaritan. People walking on the street helped those in their cars who were stuck in the snow. Nearly everyone greeted one another with a smile and sometimes a hello. We were all battling something together and could empathize with one another. Needless to say, a lot of this behavior was due to excitement - something out of the ordinary had occurred.

Nonetheless, the feeling of camaraderie that you get in the face of the other was there. One could say the storm was existentially different from us and the act of bearing it together made us all friends for a day. For that day people greeted one another by saying “stay safe” – it was almost as if our idea of our self expanded to encompass other individuals. Does this mean that the friend can be seen as an extension of oneself, being so close to our own nature? Especially since the enemy is one’s existential opposite?

For that day the storm pushed us to open up to one another and perceive each other as being more similar than different. The enemy can then be seen as the catalyst that pushes people closer together. Does this qualify as another definition of the enemy? Is there any other way to form this friend connection in Schmitt’s view or any other view?