3. Three Concepts of Politicisation: Republican, Deliberative, and Agonistic

This chapter delves into the concept of politicisation from three distinct theoretical perspectives: republican, deliberative, and agonistic. It introduces a criterion for evaluating concepts of politicisation based on their ability to account for two empirical manifestations—social and governmental politicisation. The chapter presents ideal type constructions of politicisation derived from republican, deliberative, and agonistic political thought, and assesses their suitability in capturing these manifestations. It concludes that while republican and deliberative concepts struggle with social politicisation due to their teleological nature, an agonistic concept offers a more comprehensive understanding of politicisation in contemporary society. The chapter argues that non-teleological notions of politics and politicisation are crucial for grasping the complexities of modern political life.