The Lesson of Carl Schmitt

This text identifies the core of Carl 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 Schmitt's often difficult and complex oeuvre and by relating this religious dimension to Shmitt's support for National Socialism and his continuing anti-Semitism, the text examines the irreconcilable differences between political theology and political philosophy.