Der illiberale Kat-echon: zur Demokratiekritik bei Carl Schmitt

Abstract

Once again, Carl Schmitt is en vogue. The reappearance of his theoretical framework within the New Right in order to criticize liberal democracy is the starting point of this paper. The introductory chapters put Schmitt in the intellectual context of the Weimar Republic, especially the so-called “Conservative Revolution”. Nonetheless, the main part of the paper deals with various aspects of Schmitt´s critique of liberal democracy. The paper tries to work out six different elements of this critique: Political Catholicism, liberalism, parliamentarism, democracy, modernity and economy. Finally, it indicates that Schmitt’s arguments can also be placed within the communitarian way of criticizing liberal democracy though this fact is almost neglected by the scientific community so far. [author's abstract]