The Concept of the Political

Abstract

The object of the concept of the political is diverse. In the original and etymological sense, this concept enters into the sphere of public life, but everyday language sometimes applies it in relation to non-state actors, or even to individuals. We are concerned here with the definition of the concept of the political in the sphere of interstate relations. Our considerations are solely concerned with the sphere of foreign policy. Applied to state relations, the concept of the political designates something which concerns the “polis”, the state taken as such, in accordance with the concept’s etymological sense and with its most widespread usage. In the sphere of international relations, political matters are thus those which are likely to have an influence on the relation of one state with other states — that is, on the situation of one state within the international community.¹