
The State of the Political
Conceptions of Politics and the State in the Thought of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, and Franz Neumann
Duncan Kelly(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 16. October 2003
Book
Hardback
378 pages
978-0-19-726287-0 (ISBN)
Description
The State of the Political offers a broad-ranging re-interpretation of the understanding of politics and the state in the writings of three major German thinkers, Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, and Franz Neumann. It rejects the typical separation of these writers on the basis of their allegedly incompatible ideological positions, and suggests instead that once properly located in their historical context, the tendentious character of these interpretative boundaries becomes clear.
The book interprets the conceptions of politics and the state in the writings of these three thinkers by means of an investigation of their adaptation and modification of particular German traditions of thinking about the state, or Staatsrechtslehre. Indeed, when the theoretical considerations of this state-legal theory are combined with their contemporary political criticism, a richer and more deeply textured account of the issues that engaged the attention of Weber, Schmitt and Neumann is possible. Thus, the broad range of subjects discussed in this book include parliamentarism and democracy in Germany, academic freedom and political economy, political representation, cultural criticism and patriotism, and the relationship between rationality, law, sovereignty and the constitution.
The State of the Political is based on extensive consideration of primary and secondary materials, and is held together by a general focus on the importance to these authors of distilling an adequate account of the state and the political - largely because this could bolster their subsequent criticisms of contemporary politics. The study attempts to restore a sense of proportion to discussion of their writings, focusing on the extensive ideas that they shared rather than insisting on their necessary ideological separation. It is a detailed re-appraisal of a crucial moment in modern intellectual history, and highlights the profound importance of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt and Franz Neumann for the history of European ideas.
The book interprets the conceptions of politics and the state in the writings of these three thinkers by means of an investigation of their adaptation and modification of particular German traditions of thinking about the state, or Staatsrechtslehre. Indeed, when the theoretical considerations of this state-legal theory are combined with their contemporary political criticism, a richer and more deeply textured account of the issues that engaged the attention of Weber, Schmitt and Neumann is possible. Thus, the broad range of subjects discussed in this book include parliamentarism and democracy in Germany, academic freedom and political economy, political representation, cultural criticism and patriotism, and the relationship between rationality, law, sovereignty and the constitution.
The State of the Political is based on extensive consideration of primary and secondary materials, and is held together by a general focus on the importance to these authors of distilling an adequate account of the state and the political - largely because this could bolster their subsequent criticisms of contemporary politics. The study attempts to restore a sense of proportion to discussion of their writings, focusing on the extensive ideas that they shared rather than insisting on their necessary ideological separation. It is a detailed re-appraisal of a crucial moment in modern intellectual history, and highlights the profound importance of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt and Franz Neumann for the history of European ideas.
Reviews / Votes
...this book is long overdue, and it is greatly to be welcomed...a detailed, extremely knowledgeable and broad-ranging account...the author shows great erudition...in my view this work is surely a very impressive piece of scholarship. * Hisory of European Ideas * ...remarkably detailed...The originality and erudition of this book cannot be overstated...interesting and stimulating. * Constellations * Kelly rightly claims that the insights of these thinkers remain absolutely central to the way we think about politics and the state. * History of Political Thought * Although highly specialized, The State of the Political is an intellectual tour de force. * German Studies Review *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
749 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-726287-0 (9780197262870)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Author
University Lecturer in Political Theory and Fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge