Enemies of the right kind: Chantal Mouffe and Saul Alinsky on the theory and practice of agonism

Leading ‘agonist’ theorist Chantal Mouffe has attracted controversy by founding her democratic theory, as well as her Left populist politics, upon Carl Schmitt’s account of the friend/enemy distinction. Adopting Schmitt’s premises while rejecting his reactionary politics, Mouffe contends that liberal democratic politics can transform destructive ‘antagonism’ into constructive ‘agonism’ by converting ‘enemies’ into ‘adversaries’. Mouffe’s critics charge that Schmitt’s friend/enemy politics are ultimately irreconcilable with liberal democracy, rendering her agonism untenable. In this article, I offer a qualified defense of Mouffe’s agonism by drawing a new voice into the debate: Saul Alinsky, the ‘dean of community organizing’. Because of its deep affinities with Mouffe’s agonism, Alinsky’s democratic organizing shows how her theory might plausibly be put into practice, enabling a more cogent response to Mouffe’s critics than her own work provides. Simultaneously, Alinsky’s organizing offers new insights and raises fresh questions about the role of enmity in democratic politics.