Kierkegaard and Schmitt on the State of Exception

Joshua Neoh

doi:10.1017/jlr.2023.41

Kierkegaard and Schmitt on the State of Exception

Joshua Neoh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This essay begins with a quotation from Carl Schmitt in which he quotes Søren Kierkegaard on the significance of the exception in political theology. The essay is an extended reflection on this quotation within a quotation. Through a comparison of Kierkegaard and Schmitt, the author presents two readings of the state of exception: the first centers on the figure of the sovereign, while the second centers on the figure of the martyr. The sovereign suspends the law from above, while the martyr suspends it from below. In the political sphere, there are two ways of becoming the exception: the sovereign versus the martyr.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-15
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Law and Religion
Volume	39
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/jlr.2023.41
Publication status	Published - 15 Feb 2024

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10.1017/jlr.2023.41

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AB - This essay begins with a quotation from Carl Schmitt in which he quotes Søren Kierkegaard on the significance of the exception in political theology. The essay is an extended reflection on this quotation within a quotation. Through a comparison of Kierkegaard and Schmitt, the author presents two readings of the state of exception: the first centers on the figure of the sovereign, while the second centers on the figure of the martyr. The sovereign suspends the law from above, while the martyr suspends it from below. In the political sphere, there are two ways of becoming the exception: the sovereign versus the martyr.

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KW - political theology

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Kierkegaard and Schmitt on the State of Exception

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