The Leviathan in the State Theory of Thomas Hobbes
Over the last 3 weeks, we have observed the praise that Schmitt heaped on Hobbes. However, Schmitt’s ‘The Leviathan in the State Theory of Thomas Hobbes’ demonstrates not only Schmitt’s own significantly more authoritarian political theory but also puts Schmitt’s antisemitism on full display. This week, we will examine Schmitt’s critique of the distinction between private and public spheres. We will also examine his understanding of organic political unity. Through this, we will explore the political theoretical ideas Schmitt believes has stripped the state of sovereignty and how his argument relates to antisemitic tropes and imagery.

Handout: docs.google.com/document/d/1vj-hv7aZtW6qVi3O0HIS_FfIZXQmfOyGll2pomCLiYk/edit?usp=sharing
Date: 27 May 2025, 13:00
Venue: Manor Road Building, Manor Road OX1 3UQ
Venue Details: Seminar Room B
Speakers: Speaker to be announced
Organising department: Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR)
Organiser: Jeffrey Liu (University of Oxford, DPIR)
Organiser contact email address: jeffrey.liu@politics.ox.ac.uk
Host: Jeffrey Liu (University of Oxford, DPIR)
Part of: The Political Thought of Carl Schmitt
Booking required?: Recommended
Booking url: https://forms.gle/1C5XmBGE5UuFhKeS7
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Jeffrey Liu