Carl Schmitt and the Intensification of Politics - Modernity and Political Thought (Hardback)

Kam Shapiro makes the case not only that one can find a potentially fascist aesthetic in the work of Carl Schmitt, but also the material for a critical response to it, much as one might find a remedy in the illness itself. This is dangerous territoryand Shapiro guides us skillfully through it, never loosing his political and moral feet, while never yielding to a desire to score easy points. A final chapter places Schmitt in the company of the present conduct of American foreign policy - it is disturbing because it is an accurate picture. -- Tracy B. Strong, Professor of Political Thought and Philosophy, University of Southampton
Theorists in political theory, anthropology, philosophy, and literary theory feel compelled to encounter Carl Schmitt again. Kam Shapiro's book, however, provides the most illuminating engagement I have seen. He uncovers the importance of the somatic in Schmitt's thought, how the acceleration of pace in contemporary life moves it back to the center of attention, the resonances between Schmitt and Rumsfeld, and, above all, ways to work through Schmitt to reach a place Schmitt himself avoided. This is a superb and timely book. -- William E. Connolly, Johns Hopkins University, author of The Fragility of Things: Self Organizing Processes, Neoliberal Fantasies, and Democratic Activism
The author writes confidently and engagingly, successfully blending together careful exegesis, conceptual analysis, and intellectual biography....Highly recommended. Three-star review. * CHOICE, March 2009 *
Kam Shapiro's Carl Schmitt and the Intensification of Politics provides a timely interpretation of a complex and original thinker. Exploring the full range of Schmitt's writings, the book's elegant and engaging style establishes beyond doubt that Schmitt has much to contribute to our understanding of a rapidly changing world. The careful exegesis also enables Shapiro to address pressing issues in contemporary international politics. -- David Howarth, University of Essex
Kam Shapiro makes the case not only that one can find a potentially fascist aesthetic in the work of Carl Schmitt, but also the material for a critical response to it, much as one might find a remedy in the illness itself. This is dangerous territory and Shapiro guides us skillfully through it, never loosing his political and moral feet, while never yielding to a desire to score easy points. A final chapter places Schmitt in the company of the present conduct of American foreign policy - it is disturbing because it is an accurate picture. -- Tracy B. Strong, Professor of Political Thought and Philosophy, University of Southampton