Ethics of decisionism: Carl Schmitt’s theological blind spot

Abstract

In his elaborate historical study Die Diktatur of 1919, C. Schmitt prepares the grounds for his famous definition of sovereignty. Sovereign, as Schmitt will write in his Political Theology five years later, is the one who decides on the state of exception. The following essay analyses the theological origins of Schmitt’s understanding of sovereignty. The problem of sovereignty and his controversy with Hans Kelsen’s programme of legal positivism is the starting point for Schmitt to formulate a general outline of a theory of decisionism. Decisionism as political theory is based on the concept of a rightful deviation from law by personal decision-making in concrete circumstances. The problem of a rightful deviation from law, which will be the focus of my attention, is a well-known problem in legal philosophy and theology. In the following essay, it will be demonstrated how Schmitt evades the theological nature of the problem by drawing attention to Die Diktatur in which the problem of a rightful deviation from law was first systematically analysed. The essay does not primarily intend to explain the absence of the theological and ethical discourses about rightful deviation from law in Schmitt’s work. The aim of the essay is rather to detect a “blind spot” in Schmitt’s general outline of a theory of decisionism and to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of decisionism as theo-political theory.

Keywords:

• Carl Schmitt
• state of emergency
• virtue ethics
• theology
• philosophy

Notes

1. See also the Jesuit scholar Suarez on ἐπιείκεια in De Legibus. VI c. VI–VIII and the idea can even be found in Melanchthon in his Proverbien of 1529, p. 343, interpreting Prov. 10, 12: “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”

2. All translations from the German of Schmitt (1996) are mine and have been checked against the translation by G. Schwab and Ellen Kennedy; Schmitt (1985). Page numbers refer to Schmitt (1996).

3. See (Schmitt, 2014, pp. 180–226) “Appendix the Dictatorship of the President of the Reich according to Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution” and in particular the Introduction by Hoelzl, M. and Ward, G. on the development from the concept of Belagerungszustand (state of siege/ état de siege) to the legal instrument of Notfallsgesetze (state of emergency provisions) via the inter-war terminus used in the constitution of the Weimar Republic i.e. Ausnahmegesetz: Schmitt, 2008, pp. 1–29).

4. The etymology of epieikeia shows already its Homeric but also various biblical origins in the Septuagint: see ἐπιείκεια in Passow (1847, p. 1060). In Seiler (1863, p. 185), the entry ἐπιείκής refers to an equitable funeral and the assumption that ἐπιείκεια is equity originates in the story of the King of Troy, the fragile Priam, secretly entering Achilles’ camp to ask for the mutilated corpse of his son Hector in order to prepare a proper and equitable funeral. In the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament being Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamentum Thayer (1901, p. 238). translates ἐπιείκεια as “mildness, gentleness, fairness” and with reference to Mathew Arnold as “sweet reasonableness”. In the same Lexicon on p. 238 ἐπιείκής is translated as “(1) seemly, suitable” and “(2) equitable, fair mild, gentle”. In the Septuagint one can find, according to Lust’s Greek Lexicon of the Septuagint [rev. ed] Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibel Gesellschaft (2003, p. 227) the following references: ἐπιείκεια, -ας⁺ Dn 3, 42(23) Dn^LXX 4, 27(24): 2 Mc 2, 22: 10, 4, translated as “equity Wis 12, 18; reasonableness, fairness, goodness Wis 2, 19”. The form ἐπιείκύμαι with reference to Ezr 9, 8 is translated as to deal mercifully with. ἐπιείκής- ής-éς with reference to Ps 85(86), 5; Est 8,12_i; PSal5,12 as “fair, good, reasonable, Ps 85(86),5; equitable Est 8, 12”. ἐπιείκῶς/ἐπιείκέως with reference to 1 Sm 12, 22; 2Kgs 6, 3; Est 3, 13b; 2 Mc 9, 27 as kindly, mildly, mercifully 2 Mc 9, 27 and Est 3, 13b ἐπιείκέστερον is translated as with greater moderation.

5. The Oxford English Dictionary (2015) defines the Lesbian rule as follows “(Lesbian, adj. and n.) : a. Of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos, in the northern part of the Grecian archipelago. Lesbian rule n. a mason’s rule made of lead, which could be bent to fit the curves of a moulding (Aristotle Eth. Nic. vx. 7); hence fig., a principle of judgement that is pliant and accommodating. (Very common in 17th c., but app. not always correctly understood.)” And then continues to give literary examples: “1601 S. Daniel Epist. to Sir T. Egerton 131 That Lesbian square, that building fit, Plies to the worke, not forc’th the worke to it. 1605 T. Tymme tr. J. Du Chesne Pract. Chymicall & Hermeticall Physickeii. ii. 111 The composition and wonderful nature thereof is, as it were, a certaine example and Lesbian rule of our worke. 1606 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 72 Another, leueld by the Lesbian Squire, Deep vnder ground (for the Foundation) ioynes Wel-polisht Marble.a1628 J. Preston New Covenant of 1630 233 Thou goest not by a straight rule, but by a leaden Lesbian rule. 1703 N. Rowe Ulyssesii. i. 945 The Chian and the Lesbian Grape. 1711 W. King tr. G. Naudé Polit. Considerations Refin'd Politicks v. 188 It [artificial, politic Justice] is soft and pliant enough to accommodate itself as the Lesbian rule to human and popular weakness. 1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Cymatium, Lesbian Cymatium, according to Vitruvius, is what we otherwise call Talon.”

6. Author’s translation from the Latin. Since Nova Methodus has not been translated yet, I give the full quotations below.

§4. Merito autem partitionis nostrae exemplum a theologia ad iurisprudentiam transtulimus, quia mira est utriusque facultatis similitude. Utraque enim duplex principium habet, partim rationem, hinc theologia iurisprudentiaque naturalis […] partim scripturam seu librum quondam authenticum leges positivas, illic divinas, hic humanas continentem […]. Nec mirum est quod est in iurisprudentia, idem et in theologia, usu venire, quia theologia species quaedam est iurisprudentiae universim sumtae, agit enim de iure et legibus obtinentibus in republica aut potius regno Dei super homines; moralis de iure privato, reliqua de iure publico: nam, ut nostrammet De arte combinatoria commentationem aliquantisper exscribamus, infideles quasi rebelles sunt; ecclesia velut subditi boni; personae ecclesiasticae, imo et magistratus politicus, velut ministri et magistratus subordinati; excommunicatio velut bannus; doctrina de Scriptura sacra et verbo Dei velut de legibus et earum interpretatio; de canone librorum sacrorum velut leges authenticae; de erroribus fundamentalibus quasi de delictis capitalibus; de iudicio extremo et novissima die et valitura illic satisfactione Christi velut de processu iudiciaro et termino praestituto; de remissione peccatorum, velut de iure aggratiandi; de damnatione aeterna, velut de poena capitali, aut quae morti aequiparatur perpetui carceris. Breviter: tota fere theologia magnam partem ex iurisprudentia pendet.