Definition of "agonism"

The internal competition between tendencies or natures that Machiavelli recognizes in individuals and groups and that Nietzsche sees as multiple drives is a form of “agonism.” Agonism is the idea that conflict and struggle are the natural basis of life and that this is replicated in social, political, and cultural life.

2007, Diego A. Von Vacano, The Art of Power: Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and the Making of Aesthetic Political Theory, Lexington Books, page 82

This is where the great replacement comes in. As mendacious and deranged as it is, it provides a structural explanation for various aspects of the polycrisis, and comes with in-built agonism for politicians to exploit.

2023 August 23, Oliver Haynes, “European conservative parties are out of ideas, but absorbing the far right isn’t the answer”, in The Guardian‎