Pizhuhish nāmah-i intiqādī-i mutūn va barnāmah hā-yi ̒ulūm-i insāni (Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences)

The Political Theology and Question about the Nature of Politics in the Modern Era A Critical Analysis on the Book “The Concept of Political Affairs”

Document Type : Research

Author

Abasaleh Taghizadeh Tabari

PhD of Political Thought, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2023.47489.2809
Abstract
Understanding and critical analysis of Karl Schmitt's political philosophy is possible only when we question the relationship between theology and politics and open a path to enter his project. The same direction is followed in this article. After presenting this introduction, referring to the fundamental question of Schmitt's project, that is, what is the concept of political affairs and how is it possible in the modern era, we criticized the concept of political affairs according to the position he adopted in this treatise and more in the treatise on political theology. Finally, in this article, we showed that despite the effects that Schmitt's theological understanding had on his understanding of the concept of political affairs, he could not have an active relationship with it. In other words, the two projects of political theology and the concept of the political affair remain two projects for Schmitt and could not lead to a single understanding of politics. According to Schmitt, although theology is present in the historical nature of politics, it is neither necessary nor has an obvious effect on the inner understanding of politics.

Keywords

Political Affairs
Political Theology
Nature of Politics
Descriptive Narrative of Theology
Positive Narrative of Theology
Friendship and Enmity

Subjects

Arendt, Hannah (1974), The Human Condition, The university of Chicago press. [In English]
Bernstein, Richard J (2011), “The Aporias of Carl Schmitt”, Constellations, 18, 3. [In English]
Breen, Keith (2007), “Violence and power: A critique of Hannah Arendt on the `political'”, Philosophy Social Criticism, 33. [In English]
Fletcher, Paul (2008), Disciplining the Divine: Toward an (Im)political Theology, Ashgate Publishing Company. [In English]
Hauptmann, Emily (2004), “A Local History of ''The Political''”, Political Theory, 32. [In English]
Lievens, Matthias (2013), “Carl Schmitt’s Metapolitics”, Constellations, 20, 1. [In English]
Lunn-Rockliffe, Sophie (2007), Ambrosiaster’s Political Theology, Oxford University Press. [In English]
Norris, Andrew (2006), “Ernesto Laclau and the logic of the political”, Philosophy Social Criticism, 32. [In English]
Norris, Andrew (2011), “Jean-Luc Nancy on the political after Heidegger and Schmitt”, Philosophy Social Criticism, 37. [In English]
Plant, Raymond (2001), Politics, Theology and History, Cambridge University Press. [In English]
Schmitt, Carl (2005), Political theology: four chapters on the concept of sovereignty, trans. by George Schwab, The University of Chicago Press. [In English]
Schmidt, Carl (2009), The Concept of Political Affairs/Law and Violence (selection of articles), translator: Saleh Najafi, Tehran: Rukhdad Nou. [In English]
Scott, Peter/Cavanaugh, William T (eds) (2004), The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology, Blackwell. [In English]
Scott, Peter (2003), A Political Theology of Nature, Cambridge University Press.[In English
 
 

  • Receive Date 23 June 2023
  • Revise Date 06 October 2023
  • Accept Date 28 October 2023

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