Category Archives: Carl Schmitt

The State Of Exception

In Judaism, life is almost always the highest value, just as self-preservation is usually the highest value of any nation state. No legal system, no constitution, is able to maintain itself in all contingencies. Sometimes a nation to survive must … Continue reading

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A Fascist Philosopher Helps Us Understand Contemporary Politics

Prof. Alan Wolfe writes in 2004 for the Chronicle of Higher Education: To understand what is distinctive about today’s Republican Party, you first need to know about an obscure and very conservative German political philosopher. His name, however, is not … Continue reading

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The Goyim In Jewish Jurisprudence

Torah law makes no provision for non-Jewish citizenship in the Jewish state. Generally speaking, a goy cannot serve as a valid witness in a Jewish law court. Texts written by gentiles are rarely cited in the Torah tradition. It is … Continue reading

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Legality, legitimacy, and Carl Schmitt (Paul Gottfried)

Paul Gottfried wrote for National Review in 1987: ON APRIL 7, 1985, the death of Carl Schmitt, at age 97, brought to an end the longest and stormiest career in the history of political thought. Schmitt’s hero, Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), … Continue reading

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Carl Schmitt: Politics and Theory. By Paul Edward Gottfried. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990

Review: Paul Gottfried’s brilliant new work elucidates Schmitt’s view of the state. As Gottfried stresses, Schmitt rejected the pluralism of Harold Laski, who saw the state as but one of many groups within society. This anti-political view ignored the essence … Continue reading

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