CHP213 | The Concept of the Political: Reading Carl Schmitt

This course discusses the core ideas of Carl Schmitt, a conservative and controversial German political philosopher from the 20th Century. Much criticized for his association with the Nazi Party, he was later appropriated by political thinkers from across the ideological spectrum. His penetrating insights on the nature of the political, on the limits of liberalism, on emergency situations in politics, on sovereignty, on dictatorship, on legitimacy and legality, and more have made him an unavoidable presence in political and legal theory.

This course provides a rigorous engagement with the primary works of Carl Schmitt. The module revolves around his key text The Concept of the Political and important chapters from his other works will be covered. The readings revolve largely around the nature of politics, the state, the idea of sovereignty, democracy and dictatorship. The lectures of the course will introduce the student to the major aspects of Schmitt’s thoughts.