Ulteriori informazioni
In this book, Gavin Rae analyses the foundationsof political life by undertaking a critical comparative analysis of thepolitical theologies of Carl Schmitt and Emmanuel Levinas. In so doing, Raecontributes to key debates in contemporary political philosophy, specifically thoserelating to the nature of, and the relationship between, the theological, thepolitical, and the ethical, as well as those questioning the existence ofahistoric metaphysical, ontological, and epistemological foundations. While thetheological is often associated with belief in a fixed foundation such as Godor the truth of a religion, Rae identifies another sense rooted inepistemology. On this understanding, the ontological limitations of humancognition mean that, ultimately, human truth is based in faith and so can neverbe certain. The argument developed suggests that Levinas' conception of thepolitical is grounded in theology in the sense of religion, particularly therevelations of Judaism. For this reason, Levinas claims that the politicaldecision is based on how to implement a prior religiously-inspired norm:justice. Schmitt, in contrast, develops a conception of the political rooted inepistemic faith to claim that the political decision is normless. Whilesympathetic to Schmitt's conception of theology and its relationship to thepolitical, Rae concludes by arguing that the emphasis Levinas places onresponsibility is crucial to understanding the implications of this. Thecontinuing relevance of Schmitt's and Levinas' political theologies is thatthey teach us that, while the political decision is ultimately normless, webear an infinite responsibility for theconsequences of this normless decision.
Sommario
Preface.- Acknowledgements.- Abbreviations forWorks Cited.- Chapter 1:Introduction.- Chapter 2: TheTheology of Carl Schmitt's Political Theology.- Chapter 3: ThePolitical Aspect of Carl Schmitt's Political Theology.- Chapter 4: Schmitt,Violence, and the Political.- Chapter 5: Schmitt,Sovereignty, and the Political Decision.- Chapter 6: Levinasand the Ethical Foundations of the Political.- Chapter 7: Levinasand the Face of the Ethical.- Chapter 8: Levinasand the Return of the Political.- Chapter 9: PropheticPolitics: Levinas and Political Theology.- Works Cited.- Index.
Info autore
Gavin Rae is Conex Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow at
the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. He specializes in post-Kantian
philosophy with particular emphasis on ontology, socio-political philosophy,
and theories of subjectivity. His previous books include Ontology in Heidegger and Deleuze (2014) and Realizing Freedom: Hegel, Sartre, and the Alienation of Human Being (2011).
Riassunto
In this book, Gavin Rae analyses the foundations
of political life by undertaking a critical comparative analysis of the
political theologies of Carl Schmitt and Emmanuel Levinas. In so doing, Rae
contributes to key debates in contemporary political philosophy, specifically those
relating to the nature of, and the relationship between, the theological, the
political, and the ethical, as well as those questioning the existence of
ahistoric metaphysical, ontological, and epistemological foundations. While the
theological is often associated with belief in a fixed foundation such as God
or the truth of a religion, Rae identifies another sense rooted in
epistemology. On this understanding, the ontological limitations of human
cognition mean that, ultimately, human truth is based in faith and so can never
be certain. The argument developed suggests that Levinas’ conception of the
political is grounded in theology in the sense of religion, particularly the
revelations of Judaism. For this reason, Levinas claims that the political
decision is based on how to implement a prior religiously-inspired norm:
justice. Schmitt, in contrast, develops a conception of the political rooted in
epistemic faith to claim that the political decision is normless. While
sympathetic to Schmitt’s conception of theology and its relationship to the
political, Rae concludes by arguing that the emphasis Levinas places on
responsibility is crucial to understanding the implications of this. The
continuing relevance of Schmitt’s and Levinas’ political theologies is that
they teach us that, while the political decision is ultimately normless, we
bear an infinite responsibility for theconsequences of this normless decision.
