A Dangerous Mind: Carl Schmitt in Post-War European Thought

Rating:
Summary: The Resurgence of Carl Schmitt
Review: During recent years, considerable attention both in Europe and in this country has focused upon the work of the late Carl Schmitt (1888-1995). Schmitt, of course, continues to be a highly controversial figure, given his past designation as the "Crown Jurist" of the Nazi legal establishment. His successful efforts to undermine the Weimar Constitution (including his legal duel with Hans Kelsen) and to lay a legal foundation for the Nazi legal system are well known. His criticisms of democracy, liberalism and parliamentary government are biting. But Schmitt lived a long time and wrote incessantly on a variety of topics, including international relations, the concept of statehood, and political theology. As the subtitle of the book suggests, this is not really a biography of Schmitt, although there is a brief outline of his life developed throughout the book. Rather, it focuses upon Schmitt's impact primarily upon post-World War II European thought. As such, it is quite a challenging monograph unless one is conversant with postwar trends in European and particularly German political and legal theory. Without this background, as well as a solid grounding in Schmitt's manifold writings, at times it is hard to follow the book's analysis, though clearly it is a work of superior scholarship. Most of the sources cited in the footnotes are, as one would expect, articles and books in German. So, while it is not a good book for someone just becoming familiar with Schmitt, it clearly is most helpful (and perhaps even essential) for the more advanced Schmitt student.

Rating:
Summary: The Resurgence of Carl Schmitt
Review: During recent years, considerable attention both in Europe and in this country has focused upon the work of the late Carl Schmitt (1888-1995). Schmitt, of course, continues to be a highly controversial figure, given his past designation as the "Crown Jurist" of the Nazi legal establishment. His successful efforts to undermine the Weimar Constitution (including his legal duel with Hans Kelsen) and to lay a legal foundation for the Nazi legal system are well known. His criticisms of democracy, liberalism and parliamentary government are biting. But Schmitt lived a long time and wrote incessantly on a variety of topics, including international relations, the concept of statehood, and political theology. As the subtitle of the book suggests, this is not really a biography of Schmitt, although there is a brief outline of his life developed throughout the book. Rather, it focuses upon Schmitt's impact primarily upon post-World War II European thought. As such, it is quite a challenging monograph unless one is conversant with postwar trends in European and particularly German political and legal theory. Without this background, as well as a solid grounding in Schmitt's manifold writings, at times it is hard to follow the book's analysis, though clearly it is a work of superior scholarship. Most of the sources cited in the footnotes are, as one would expect, articles and books in German. So, while it is not a good book for someone just becoming familiar with Schmitt, it clearly is most helpful (and perhaps even essential) for the more advanced Schmitt student.