Episode 152 -- Carl Schmitt, Part 2
Summary
In this episode, hosts Adrian Domb and Mo Donigan explore the political philosopher Carl Schmitt’s 1933 diaries and writings to analyze his alignment with the Nazi regime. They examine how Schmitt’s theories on sovereignty and the friend-enemy distinction were applied to justify authoritarianism, specifically through the concept of the "total state" and the exclusion of liberal democratic norms like the secret ballot. The discussion highlights Schmitt’s personal insecurities and his strategic rewriting of history to position himself as a key architect of the new government, offering a criti…
Topics discussed
Introduction and recap of Carl Schmitt's political theory
Schmitt's critique of liberalism and the friend-enemy distinction
Sovereignty, the unitary executive, and the rejection of parliamentary debate
Schmitt's initial reaction to the Nazi rise to power in January 1933
Reinterpreting the Weimar Constitution and the 'Prussian Coup'
Diary entries: Social interactions, racism, and personal resentment
Frustration with Hindenburg and the January 30th appointment
Schmitt's legal role, correspondence, and early agitations
February 1933: Early publications and the concept of the total state
Obsession with Jewish enemies and the Reichstag fire
The Enabling Act and Schmitt's preemptive cynicism
Building his myth: Commentary on the April 7th coordination law
The 'Volk' as a vitalist subject and the exclusion of minorities
Critique of secret voting and the 'No True Scotsman' fallacy
Gleichschaltung: Homogenization of institutions and the German Revolution
Populism, decisionism, and the justification of authoritarianism
Anti-intellectualism, publishing strategy, and NSDAP membership
May 1933: May Day rally, jurists' conference, and wounded pride
The 'State of Law' vs. the 'Total State' and the private sphere
Civil society, the 'Deep State,' and the critique of bureaucracy
Empirical failures of Schmitt's diagnosis and the total state
Legal justifications, the Night of the Long Knives, and due process
The state of exception, the sovereign, and Schmitt's fate
Conclusion and credits
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