The Lesson of Carl Schmitt: Four Chapters on the Distinction between Political Theology and Political Philosophy

by Heinrich Meier

This book is the culmination of Heinrich Meier's acclaimed analyses of the controversial thought of Carl Schmitt. Meier identifies the core of Schmitt's thought as political theology—that is, political theorizing that claims to have its ultimate ground in the revelation of a mysterious or supra-rational God. This radical, but half-hidden, theological foundation unifies the whole of Schmitt's often difficult and complex oeuvre, cutting through the intentional deceptions and unintentional obfuscations that have eluded previous commentators.

Relating this religious dimension to Schmitt's support for National Socialism and his continuing anti-Semitism, Meier compels the reader to come to terms with the irreconcilable differences between political theology and political philosophy. His book will give pause to those who have tended to gloss over the troubling aspects of some of Schmitt's ideas.

With editions in German, French, Italian, and now English, Meier's two books on Schmitt have dramatically reoriented the international debate about Carl Schmitt and his significance for twentieth-century political thought.

"Standing far above the rest . . . is Heinrich Meier's new study, Die Lehre Carl Schmitts , which covers all of Schmitt's writings. . . . Meier's work has forced everyone to take a second look at the assumptions underlying Schmitt's better-known writings and reconsider some that have been ignored."—Mark Lilla, reviewing the German edition in The New York Review of Books

Genres: Philosophy

204 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Heinrich Meier is professor of philosophy at the universities of Munich and Chicago and heads the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation.

Reviews

[Colm Gillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is essentially about the clash between reason and revelation, between Athens and Jerusalem as it appears in the thought of Carl Schmitt. It is a discursive book and reads like an extended essay. As such, it is a little difficult to follow and it is hard to make out th3 contours of the authors thesis. There is more than a sense of a rambling, roving discourse than a tightly knit argument. Of course Schmitt's work is enigmatic and difficult to pin down so its not wholly illegitimate to adopt such an approach. Positives about this book are the sheer scale of scholarship, the interesting points the author makes and the discussion on particular topics like Schmitt's appraisal of Hobbes. Generally though there is more heat than light in the book.

[Aung Sett Kyaw Min · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can be meandering oft times, but Heinrich's does make a convincing case for Carl Schmitt above all as a thinker of the revelation (i.e. the unique historic event of the Word becoming Flesh) which challenges subsequent generations of human beings to either ally themselves with or become of an enemy of the Lord. The theological holds a privileged place in Schmitt's thinking, according to Heinrich Miller, because in it--in the war between the faithful and the unbeliever, between God and Satan, between those who know their enemies and those who deny that they have any--manifests the 'maximum' of association and enmity characteristic of the political as such. With hermeneutical deft Heinrich paints a portrait of Schmitt as an intellectual crusader who is not merely content with carving out an autonomous space of the political, nor with simply sketching an outline of a sociology of the juridical concepts of the State (the so called secularization thesis) but with exposing the cost of humanity's immanent self-authorization which in his view cannot but end in nihilistic despair.

[Thomas Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. This book demonstrates that the core of Schmitt’s thought was the self-revelation of the Triune God, who was Incarnated and born of the Virgin Mary — that Jesus is the Christ. And it is out of this revelation, not man’s reason, that all of life, and thus all of politics, is rooted. Unfortunately, for this Straussian scholar he really hates it — he’s a student of his master, and desires for man’s reason to be supreme. But he’s spot on with Schmitt’s Christian political theology.

[Luke Echo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less compelling than The Hidden Dialogue. This text seems rather meandering and speculative. This "hermeneutical" approach is a bit much in the end. Skimmed through the later sections. It will probably be worth revisting.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Lesson of Carl Schmitt" is a book written by the German political philosopher Heinrich Meier and was first published in 1998. The book is a critical examination of the political thought of Carl Schmitt, a controversial figure in 20th-century political philosophy.

Schmitt was a prominent conservative legal theorist and political philosopher who is best known for his works on the nature of sovereignty and the state. He was a critic of liberal democracy and believed that political power should be based on the concept of the "political," a realm of decision-making that was separate from and superior to the rule of law.

Meier's book offers a comprehensive and critical analysis of Schmitt's political thought, arguing that his ideas are deeply problematic and dangerous. Meier argues that Schmitt's emphasis on the need for a powerful state and his rejection of liberal democracy make him a troubling figure who has had a profound influence on authoritarian and totalitarian movements.

Meier also explores Schmitt's relationship with Nazism, arguing that while Schmitt was not a Nazi himself, his ideas were embraced and used by the Nazi regime. Meier suggests that Schmitt's views on sovereignty and the state provided a theoretical justification for Nazi policies and practices, including the suppression of individual rights and the concentration of power in the hands of a small elite.

Overall, "The Lesson of Carl Schmitt" is an important work of scholarship that offers a critical examination of one of the most controversial and influential political thinkers of the 20th century. The book raises important questions about the relationship between political philosophy and political practice and highlights the dangers of authoritarian and totalitarian movements.

GPT