This second episode of our new podcast continues our exploration of the thought of Carl Schmitt (1888–1985), the notorious German jurist and political theorist of the Nazi regime.

One of his most famous works, Political Theology lays out Schmitt’s argument for a clear expression of executive sovereignty, anchored by its famous opening declaration: “Sovereign is he who decides upon the exception.” We review the background to this work in the ideas of Max Weber, as well as Schmitt’s rejection of the neo-Kantian idea of constitutional authority, and consider why Schmitt saw the need for a clearly defined executive sovereignty as the political imperative of his time. Along the way, we note the similarities between Schmitt’s arguments and the emerging discourse in our current politics surrounding the need for strong executive leadership.

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