Exceptions (to exceptions) and decisions (about decisions) in Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling and Schmitt’s Political Theology
(2024) Historical, Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Political Violence conference In Helsinki Yearbook of Intellectual History 4.- Abstract
- This piece investigates a contested intersection between the decisionisms of Carl Schmitt and Søren Kierkegaard. In his Political theology (1922), Schmitt quotes from Kierkegaard’s Repetition (1843) to support his claims about sovereignty, decision, and exception. However, as I argue, it is more likely an implicit (mis)interpretation of Fear and trembling’s (1843) articulation of faith – particularly the book’s infamous idea of a “teleological suspension of the ethical” – that Schmitt wields to advance his account of sovereignty. As Fear and trembling’s Abraham stands outside the ethical (det Ethiske), so the sovereign grounds legality from the outside, each in the position to make a pure decision about how to act— or so Schmitt’s... (More)
- This piece investigates a contested intersection between the decisionisms of Carl Schmitt and Søren Kierkegaard. In his Political theology (1922), Schmitt quotes from Kierkegaard’s Repetition (1843) to support his claims about sovereignty, decision, and exception. However, as I argue, it is more likely an implicit (mis)interpretation of Fear and trembling’s (1843) articulation of faith – particularly the book’s infamous idea of a “teleological suspension of the ethical” – that Schmitt wields to advance his account of sovereignty. As Fear and trembling’s Abraham stands outside the ethical (det Ethiske), so the sovereign grounds legality from the outside, each in the position to make a pure decision about how to act— or so Schmitt’s interpretation seems to go. Yet here Fear and trembling’s portrayal of faith issues a preemptive challenge to Schmitt, capturing Schmitt’s political theology with its accounts of tragic heroes, whom Kierkegaard juxtaposes with the knight of faith in order to critique the former and praise the latter. Accordingly, Kierkegaardian faith does not stand outside morality or legality altogether; faith refuses the conclusion that such an exception is necessary. I conclude by arguing that Fear and trembling’s depiction of faith nonetheless implies a form of decisionism, but one very different than Schmitt’s: the single individual decides whether social living requires a Schmittian decision or not. (Less)
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https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/88dac54e-5be7-4487-93cd-5618d78b58d8
- author
- Goldman, Aaron James LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11-18
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Kierkegaard, Schmitt, political theology, faith, Christianity, idealism, realism, decisionism, exception
- host publication
- Political violence : Historical, philosophical and theological perspectives - Historical, philosophical and theological perspectives
- series title
- Helsinki Yearbook of Intellectual History
- editor
- Pöykkö, Panu-Matti ; Slotte, Pamela and Salo, Viljami
- volume
- 4
- publisher
- De Gruyter Oldenbourg
- conference name
- Historical, Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Political Violence conference
- conference location
- Helsinki, Finland
- conference dates
- 2022-03-31 - 2022-04-02
- ISSN
- 2698-6205
- 2698-6213
- ISBN
- 9783110990645
- 9783110999884
- project
- Kierkegaard, Modernity & Critique
- Christianity and nationalism
- Rethinking the Religious and the Secular with Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 88dac54e-5be7-4487-93cd-5618d78b58d8
- alternative location
- https://www.degruyter.com/document/isbn/9783110990645/html?lang=en
- date added to LUP
- 2023-04-03 09:54:03
- date last changed
- 2024-09-12 10:53:28
@inbook{88dac54e-5be7-4487-93cd-5618d78b58d8, abstract = {{This piece investigates a contested intersection between the decisionisms of Carl Schmitt and Søren Kierkegaard. In his Political theology (1922), Schmitt quotes from Kierkegaard’s Repetition (1843) to support his claims about sovereignty, decision, and exception. However, as I argue, it is more likely an implicit (mis)interpretation of Fear and trembling’s (1843) articulation of faith – particularly the book’s infamous idea of a “teleological suspension of the ethical” – that Schmitt wields to advance his account of sovereignty. As Fear and trembling’s Abraham stands outside the ethical (det Ethiske), so the sovereign grounds legality from the outside, each in the position to make a pure decision about how to act— or so Schmitt’s interpretation seems to go. Yet here Fear and trembling’s portrayal of faith issues a preemptive challenge to Schmitt, capturing Schmitt’s political theology with its accounts of tragic heroes, whom Kierkegaard juxtaposes with the knight of faith in order to critique the former and praise the latter. Accordingly, Kierkegaardian faith does not stand outside morality or legality altogether; faith refuses the conclusion that such an exception is necessary. I conclude by arguing that Fear and trembling’s depiction of faith nonetheless implies a form of decisionism, but one very different than Schmitt’s: the single individual decides whether social living requires a Schmittian decision or not.}}, author = {{Goldman, Aaron James}}, booktitle = {{Political violence : Historical, philosophical and theological perspectives}}, editor = {{Pöykkö, Panu-Matti and Slotte, Pamela and Salo, Viljami}}, isbn = {{9783110990645}}, issn = {{2698-6205}}, keywords = {{Kierkegaard; Schmitt; political theology; faith; Christianity; idealism; realism; decisionism; exception}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{11}}, publisher = {{De Gruyter Oldenbourg}}, series = {{Helsinki Yearbook of Intellectual History}}, title = {{Exceptions (to exceptions) and decisions (about decisions) in Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling and Schmitt’s Political Theology}}, url = {{https://www.degruyter.com/document/isbn/9783110990645/html?lang=en}}, volume = {{4}}, year = {{2024}}, }