Schwimmendes Staatsgebiet

During his life, Carl Schmitt dealt with mystical figures. As dazzling apparitions, they are in a state of tension that requires explanation in relation to his supposedly unambiguous style. Herman Melville’s ‚Benito Cereno‘ was one of these figures that Schmitt discovered for himself in early 1941 and in whom he saw his life and work reflected. Schmitt chose this literary figure in order to explain his own presence to himself and others as well as his involvement in the Nazi regime. By interpreting his temporarily unambiguous positioning in the light of Melville’s narrative, he sought to break this unambiguity and justify life and work.

Zufall, Erlösung und Politik

Master and Margarita is a masterpiece of literary modernity. Mikhail Bulgakov wrote the novel in the 1930s in Moscow under the life-threatening conditions of personal persecution. The novel shows how all rationalist claims to power fail because of the invincible power of chance. The utopian state of peace and freedom that the novel creates lies in a sphere beyond all real conflicts and tensions. The present Corona crisis puts the planning reason, which characterizes the history of Western rationality, in many ways questioned. It testifies to the enduring power of chance and thus to the principal limits of human domination of nature. This experience should sensitize our political thinking for the fundamental vulnerability of human beings and the existence of the unpredictable in a new way.

Das „in seine besonderen Kreise gegliederte Ganze“

2020 was the year of the 250th anniversary of G. W. F. Hegel, his friend Friedrich Hölderlin and Ludwig van Beethoven. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were not many options to commemorate publicly their outstanding legacy. We should rectify this as soon as possible! The French Revolution was the significant historical event of this generation, and Hegel, Hölderlin and Beethoven kept true to the idea of liberty lifelong. In an early contribution Joachim Ritter underlined the importance of the French Revolution for the elaboration of Hegel’s philosophy. As „a philosopher of liberty“ Hegel is described by Klaus Vieweg in his new biography. Is this also true for Hegel’s „Elements of the Philosophy of Right” and his understanding of state and society? What does his notion of liberty mean in this context? Can we learn from Hegel’s argumentation regarding problems we face today in our society? It will be the aim of this article to give some answers to these questions.

„Neue Normalität“

During the initial phase until the end of April 2020 Chancellor Angela Merkel focused on the survival of the elderly (those over 80 years of age) when justifying the measures taken against the spreading of Corona virus. In this context she ignored or at least didn’t mention strong arguments concerning the assessment of fundamental rights and of inter-generation fairness. This policy in favour of the elderly reflects a post heroic mindset which neglects coping with future demands in a responsible manner. This change in the general attitude is exemplified by references to Napoleon, Goethe and Max Weber.

Bismarck als Projektionsfläche oder Verfassung als Kunst des Möglichen?

Otto von Bismarck was not a liberal politician at all but had a lot of liberal admirers. German liberal politicians like Gustav Stresemann or Otto Graf Lambsdorff and even Social Democrats like Willy Brandt presented themselves as at least partial admirers of Bismarck and his politics. It is surprising at first sight, because Bismarck had strong conservative roots and never pretended to be liberal. On the other hand, some effects of his politics were deeply accepted and even desired by German liberals: the creation of a strong German national state, political fight against small blimpish duchies or catholic church. Bismarck was rather a pragmatic (and sometimes opportunist) than a theorist, defining politics as „Kunst des Möglichen“ (‚art of art of the possible, the attainable – the art of the next best‘). Due to his lack of ideology, for many a benchmark of Liberalism, conservative Bismarck could make successful liberal politics, but also its opposite, e. g., in social politics. By his pragmatic approach and his flexibility, Bismarck became a projection screen for many liberal politicians.