Politics in the Times of Nazi

Abstract

The preface to the translation of “Politics” by C. Schmitt. Schmitt in 1933–36 aspired (though rather unsuccessfully) to become an ideological guru of the Nazi regime, that was only in the process of formation then. It allows to formulate the question about the guilt of the thinker, but doesn't prevent to find the theoretical contents in his works of this period. Criticism of parliamentary democracy and understanding the political as an opposition of enemies lead Schmitt to the concept of a tripartite political unity of people, state and movement. He sees the Nazi regime as a new kind of politics based not on struggle, but on mobilization of the people conducted by the Fuhrer. This design turned out to be not only politically vicious, but also theoretically defective, however its studying is an instructive experience.