R: Have Enemies

Criminals are decried as "Public Enemies," revolutionaries and traitors as "Enemies of the State," and those who advocate for the status quo as "Enemies of Progress." Nations, families, individuals, and ideas are wrought with adversaries. But is this necessary? The phenomenon of rivalry exists everywhere from Tolstoy's War and Peace to the texts of world religions to modern geopolitical discourse to the Socratic dialogues. As history, literature, politics, and philosophy all try to reconcile the role of enemies in the public and personal spheres, we must ask: can we stand for anything, as people or as a nation, if there are not things we stand against? Is it requisite of a good life to forge enemies along the way? Are adversaries a natural part of the human condition, or are they an externality of social competition, poor interpersonal skills, or intolerance?