Argumentative Uses of ‘Otherness‘ and ‘Foreignness‘ in Pre-Modern Political Debates in Central Europe

The article investigates political debates about royal succession and noble participation in fifteenth-century Hungary. language of that time was often marked by strong references to ‘own’ (seemingly ‘national’) identities aspects ‘foreignness’ were regarded as (or at least argumentatively as) unwelcome. While like this have been interpreted supposed proof a pre-modern form xenophobia, suggests analysing the complexity structures, various layers communication with different legitimation strategies, forms conflict escalation. Drawing from recent sociological studies, medieval discourses semantics can then be understood means shaping legitimizing claims for societal participation.