The Problem of Political Foundations in Carl Schmitt and Emmanuel Levinas (PDF)

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 the consequences of this normless decision.