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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Main Author: Hubertus Buchstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Helsinki University Press 2021-07-01
Series:Redescriptions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal-redescriptions.org/articles/320
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author Hubertus Buchstein
author_facet Hubertus Buchstein
author_sort Hubertus Buchstein
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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 A closer look at Kirchheimer’s late work, at his unpublished correspondence with Schmitt, and at additional unpublished sources contradicts such an interpretation.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.
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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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