Dialogues on Power and Space

by Carl Schmitt, Federico Finchelstein (Editor), Andreas Kalyvas (Editor)

Written in the early stages of the Cold War by one of the most controversial political and legal thinkers of the twentieth century, Carl Schmitt�s two short dialogues on power and space bring together several dimensions of his work in new ways. The dialogues renew Schmitt�s engagement with the questions of political power and geo-politics that had been a persistent concern throughout his intellectual life. As a basis on which to think through the historical role of human agency in relation to power and its new geographies, the dialogues condense and rework key concepts in Schmitt�s political theory during a transitional period between his Weimar and fascist years to the post-war writings. In this book, Schmitt develops a new �dialectics� of modern power and an original understanding of the global spatial transformations of the Cold War period. Equally important, the dialogues anticipate the debates on the new geo-political possibilities and threats related to cosmic spaces, overpowering technological advances, and the existential predicament of the human in an increasingly multipolar world.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy, Theory, Nonfiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Carl Schmitt's early career as an academic lawyer falls into the last years of the Wilhelmine Empire. (See for Schmitt's life and career: Bendersky 1983; Balakrishnan 2000; Mehring 2009.) But Schmitt wrote his most influential works, as a young professor of constitutional law in Bonn and later in Berlin, during the Weimar-period: Political Theology, presenting Schmitt's theory of sovereignty, appeared in 1922, to be followed in 1923 by The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy, which attacked the legitimacy of parliamentary government. In 1927, Schmitt published the first version of his most famous work, The Concept of the Political, defending the view that all true politics is based on the distinction between friend and enemy. The culmination of Schmitt's work in the Weimar period, and arguably his greatest achievement, is the 1928 Constitutional Theory which systematically applied Schmitt's political theory to the interpretation of the Weimar constitution. During the political and constitutional crisis of the later Weimar Republic Schmitt published Legality and Legitimacy, a clear-sighted analysis of the breakdown of parliamentary government Germany, as well as The Guardian of the Constitution, which argued that the president as the head of the executive, and not a constitutional court, ought to be recognized as the guardian of the constitution. In these works from the later Weimar period, Schmitt's declared aim to defend the Weimar constitution is at times barely distinguishable from a call for constitutional revision towards a more authoritarian political framework (Dyzenhaus 1997, 70–85; Kennedy 2004, 154–78).

Though Schmitt had not been a supporter of National Socialism before Hitler came to power, he sided with the Nazis after 1933. Schmitt quickly obtained an influential position in the legal profession and came to be perceived as the ‘Crown Jurist’ of National Socialism. (Rüthers 1990; Mehring 2009, 304–436) He devoted himself, with undue enthusiasm, to such tasks as the defence of Hitler's extra-judicial killings of political opponents (PB 227–32) and the purging of German jurisprudence of Jewish influence (Gross 2007; Mehring 2009, 358–80). But Schmitt was ousted from his position of power within legal academia in 1936, after infighting with academic competitors who viewed Schmitt as a turncoat who had converted to Nazism only to advance his career. There is considerable debate about the causes of Schmitt's willingness to associate himself with the Nazis. Some authors point to Schmitt's strong ambition and his opportunistic character but deny ideological affinity (Bendersky 1983, 195–242; Schwab 1989). But a strong case has been made that Schmitt's anti-liberal jurisprudence, as well as his fervent anti-semitism, disposed him to support the Nazi regime (Dyzenhaus 1997, 85–101; Scheuerman 1999). Throughout the later Nazi period, Schmitt's work focused on questions of international law. The immediate motivation for this turn seems to have been the aim to justify Nazi-expansionism. But Schmitt was interested in the wider question of the foundations of international law, and he was convinced that the turn towards liberal cosmopolitanism in 20th century international law would undermine the conditions of stable and legitimate international legal order. Schmitt's theoretical work on the foundations of international law culminated in The Nomos of the Earth, written in the early 1940's, but not published before 1950. Due to his support for and involvement with the Nazi dictatorship, the obstinately unrepentant Schmitt was not allowed to return to an academic job after 1945 (Mehring 2009, 438–63). But he nevertheless remained an important figure in West Germany's conservative intellectual scene to his death in 1985 (van Laak 2002) and enjoyed a considerable degree of clandestine influence elsewhere (Scheuerman 1999, 183–251; Müller 2003).

Unsurprisingly, the significance and value of Schmitt's works

Reviews

[Claudia]

Non so quante stelline assegnare perché, come forse si vede (?) dalle mie letture, la filosofia non è il mio forte.
Ci sto provando però e vi posso dire che nonostante Schmitt sia conosciuto soprattutto per essere un "voltagabbana", ex-nazista, questi due dialoghi li ho trovati alquanto interessanti. Sicuramente sono da rileggere più avanti quando spero di aver colmato almeno parzialmente la mia ignoranza in materia.

[Wing]

One of his most underrated works, dialogue was ahead of his time

[JJS. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two dialogues presented here are quite thought-provoking and entertaining reading. The first dialogue - on power - is definitely familiar in its themes to other works of Schmitt; the second dialogue goes more outside the norm of what Schmitt focused on, since it goes into some historical and geopolitical aspects, while also discussing the time he was writing especially in relation to technological development. The second dialogue feels prescient today. Both dialogues are quite interesting reading.

[Jaxen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Under-read but not particularly impressive. The first dialogue ('Dialogue on Power and Access to the Holder of Power') is an interesting exploration on the role of technology with a humanist dialectic of power, with a focus on why power is in his time (1950s) considered as in-itself evil.
I was particularly unimpressed and borderline bored with the second dialogue ('Dialogue on New Space') - the general idea is that the historical mode of viewing geopolitics (land as 'Lebensraum' and sea as 'leviathan') has its roots in Biblical tradition; this view is conflicted with a scientific positivist view which has almost nothing to say about geopolitics at all. The exploration of the connection between the Industrial Revolution and the English 'call to the sea' was interesting and the opening of new spaces (such as the cosmos) by rapid technological advancement (focus on the 'Atomic Age' by the American speaker) definitely highlights a view that many hold.

Most of the Schmitt I have engaged with are his Weimar works and so because of that the first dialogue was a reflection and expansion of familiar territory. It may be the case that I must read 'Nomos of the Earth' and 'Land and Sea' to properly understand the importance of the second dialogue. As it stands now, I'm left with the impression that if Schmitt did not write these dialogues, there would be no substantial change to his thought.

[Minäpäminä · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schmitt at his most accessible and abstract. The dialogue on power is especially interesting in relation to Schmitt's earlier theoretizations of sovereignty.

[Les75 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex nazista pentito, Schmitt fu un autore scomodo e un pensatore incisivo. Il libro raccoglie due lavori che furono trasmessi da un'emittente radiofonica tedesca nel 1954 e rivelano entrambi la lucidità del loro autore.
Il "Dialogo sul potere" è una pièce teatrale ben strutturata e molto godibile, che non può non essere letta alla luce del processo che Schmitt subì a Norimberga dopo il crollo del nazismo. Schmitt, dopo il triennio 1933-1936 in cui appoggiò apertamente la follia suprematista hitleriana, rinnegò recisamente il nazismo, vergognandosene profondamente.
Il secondo lavoro, il "Dialogo sul nuovo spazio" vuole indagare la brama umana mai paga di conquista, che si tratti di terra, di mare o di spazio al fuori dai confini terrestri, tuttavia a mio parere si avvita su riflessioni spesso strumentali e talvolta ripetitive.

[EMILIO SCUTTI · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il testo può essere condensato in solo due pagine ossia nella lucida e formidabile intuizione e precisa descrizione del potere : protezione in cambio di obbedienza nè più e nè meno. Carl Schmitt era stato seguace del nazismo e di hitler negli anni dal 34 al 36 ma fino al 39 ci sono scritti che ne esaltano la figura di uomo forte quasi sovrumano un superomismo che lo porrebbe al di sopra della legge in quanto transtorico. Il secondo dialogo sullo spazio la terra e la conquista di mondi altri è assolutamente noioso e forse superato .

[Ary · Rating 3 out of 5]

"l'uomo è per l'uomo un uomo - homo homini homo - non è una soluzione ma solo l'inizio
del nostro problema."

Non credo che le mie conoscenze di base filosofiche al riguardo, risalenti al liceo, mi abbiano permesso di comprende appieno i riferimenti ad autori ed opere nel testo, ma da spunti di riflessione in cui alla fine ci si chiede se il 'potere' non sia un uroboro umano.

[Hobbes Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

直接权力的场域总是以关乎信息渠道的前置场作为前提（间接权力），而真正的绝对统治只会导致与外界的绝对隔离。甚至权力本身就是超出一切善恶决断的“巨型利维坦”：权力的现实摆脱了人类的现实，它源初的功能在于保护-服从、并由此与共识互相制造；然而它却具备了超出一切个体善恶的强大力量而成为了牢笼般的社会装置，当权者本身也不过是这一装置的分泌物；故权力不再是额我略所言的神性和善，也不再是上帝死后布克哈特那里的恶；权力以其超强的威慑力取消了一切用善恶评价自身的权能，以致于仿佛具有了中性的面貌。这种权力的统治伴随着武器技术的升级而化作死亡的阴影，徘徊在一切被统计和代表的民众身边，而这些匿名的群众就是技术和统治得以具有生命力的外在形式。因此，在权力的牢笼之下，尽管人对人可以是狼或羊，但欲成为人就仍需某种决断。

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piacevoli arguzie intorno al concetto di potere.

[Vito Alberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non il più riuscito dei dialoghi filosofici, diciamo.

[Vladimir Tarasov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я прочитал в русском переводе, который здесь отсутствует. Хорошая работа, напоминающая о том, как устроен мир в 20-21 веках.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is two short essays, in the form of dialogues, dealing with the use and misuse of power, and the perception of space as outlined in Schmitt's work "Land und Meer"

The author was emphatic in stating that these weren't "dialogues" in the sense that the works of Greek antiquity were dialogues. These are more like lectures between a professor and his student (along with a bit of bullish intercession by an American comically named "MacFuture"). It has to be remembered that in post-war life, conservative intellectuals were persona non-grata, especially those like Herr Schmitt who refused denazification. For some, like Ernst Junger, who were a bit reclusive by nature, this wasn't that big of a deal. But for those accustomed to teaching, and the intellectual stimulation that comes from interacting with pupils, this was a pretty painful period of exile.

Schmitt clearly used these dialogues to mimic the rapport that develops between a professor and a keen student who challenges him or her, in order to compensate for the loss of his academic position. This is a short work, but one could spend decades mulling over the contents of a paragraph here or a sentence there. Questions regarding the inherent nature of power never become irrelevant, and Schmitt's concept of "Raum" (roughly translated as space) will be crucial as long as humans continue to explore and conquer new frontiers. Thankfully this work has more end notes than footnotes, which provides context without disrupting the flow of the work, page by page. Highest recommendation.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dialogues on Power and Space" is a book written by Carl Schmitt, a German jurist, political theorist, and philosopher, and published posthumously in 1992. The book is a collection of dialogues between Schmitt and a group of scholars on the themes of power and space in politics.

Schmitt was known for his critiques of liberal democracy and his defense of authoritarianism and the state. In "Dialogues on Power and Space," he engages in a series of discussions with other thinkers on topics such as sovereignty, law, war, and imperialism.

The dialogues are structured as a series of conversations between Schmitt and other scholars, in which they explore different perspectives on these topics and challenge each other's ideas. The book offers a window into Schmitt's thinking and his contributions to political theory, as well as his critiques of modernity and liberalism.

"Dialogues on Power and Space" is a challenging and provocative book that will be of interest to scholars and students of political theory and philosophy, as well as anyone interested in the history of political ideas.

GPT