The Issue of Decision and Power in Panagiotis Kondylis

Abstract

This article explores the central role of "power" (ischys) and "decision" (apofasi) in the philosophical framework of Panagiotis Kondylis. The author argues that traditional philosophy has often attempted to "exorcise" or spiritualize power by tethering it to ethical or theological absolutes, whereas Kondylis treats it as an ontological and anthropological category. The study examines how the "original decision" serves as the foundation for an individual's worldview (Weltanschauung) and self-preservation, essentially acting as a pre-rational choice that determines the logic of all subsequent actions. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the relationship between power and scientific progress, engaging with the falsificationist theories of Karl Popper to illustrate how intellectual competition is itself a form of power struggle. The author concludes that for Kondylis, social and political reality is a dynamic field of shifting power relations where "rationality" is often a tool used to justify the underlying drive for dominance and identity.