The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945
In the vast secondary literature on Carl Schmitt as well as on the Frankfurt School, the political and legal thinker Otto Kirchheimer is described as a forerunner of contemporary Left-Schmittianism. This view is sometimes expanded in the literature to the personal relationship between Schmitt and Ki...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Helsinki University Press
2021-07-01
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Series: | Redescriptions |
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Online Access: | https://journal-redescriptions.org/articles/320 |
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author | Hubertus Buchstein |
author_facet | Hubertus Buchstein |
author_sort | Hubertus Buchstein |
collection | DOAJ |
description | In the vast secondary literature on Carl Schmitt as well as on the Frankfurt School, the political and legal thinker Otto Kirchheimer is described as a forerunner of contemporary Left-Schmittianism. This view is sometimes expanded in the literature to the personal relationship between Schmitt and Kirchheimer after 1945 as well. A closer look at Kirchheimer’s late work, at his unpublished correspondence with Schmitt, and at additional unpublished sources contradicts such an interpretation. In fact, Kirchheimer strongly attacked Schmittianism in German debates on constitutional theory after 1945. This article finally uncovers the extent to which Schmitt tried to instrumentalize his former doctoral student to pursue his political rehabilitation in the Federal Republic via the United States. Kirchheimer, however, took a firm stand against this attempt. In his defense of modern parliamentary democracy, Kirchheimer definitely sided with the political left of his times; but he did so without any flirtation with Schmittianism. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:53:44Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-73e513ac221b496484f9f7149c335d83 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2308-0914 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:53:44Z |
publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
publisher | Helsinki University Press |
record_format | Article |
series | Redescriptions |
spelling | doaj.art-73e513ac221b496484f9f7149c335d832022-12-21T21:04:06ZengHelsinki University PressRedescriptions2308-09142021-07-0124110.33134/rds.320354The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945Hubertus Buchstein0Greifswald UniversityIn the vast secondary literature on Carl Schmitt as well as on the Frankfurt School, the political and legal thinker Otto Kirchheimer is described as a forerunner of contemporary Left-Schmittianism. This view is sometimes expanded in the literature to the personal relationship between Schmitt and Kirchheimer after 1945 as well. A closer look at Kirchheimer’s late work, at his unpublished correspondence with Schmitt, and at additional unpublished sources contradicts such an interpretation. In fact, Kirchheimer strongly attacked Schmittianism in German debates on constitutional theory after 1945. This article finally uncovers the extent to which Schmitt tried to instrumentalize his former doctoral student to pursue his political rehabilitation in the Federal Republic via the United States. Kirchheimer, however, took a firm stand against this attempt. In his defense of modern parliamentary democracy, Kirchheimer definitely sided with the political left of his times; but he did so without any flirtation with Schmittianism.https://journal-redescriptions.org/articles/320otto kirchheimercarl schmittleft-schmittianismantisemitismwest german political and legal thought |
spellingShingle | Hubertus Buchstein The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 Redescriptions otto kirchheimer carl schmitt left-schmittianism antisemitism west german political and legal thought |
title | The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 |
title_full | The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 |
title_fullStr | The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 |
title_full_unstemmed | The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 |
title_short | The Godfather of Left-Schmittianism? Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt after 1945 |
title_sort | godfather of left schmittianism otto kirchheimer and carl schmitt after 1945 |
topic | otto kirchheimer carl schmitt left-schmittianism antisemitism west german political and legal thought |
url | https://journal-redescriptions.org/articles/320 |
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