Schmittian Traces in Žižek's Political Theology (and Some Derridean Specters)

Slavoj Žižek's fascinating and complex attempt at an appropriation of the authentic legacy of Christianity for a revivified politics of universality is traced in the light of certain affinities to concepts of Carl Schmitt's political theology. It is argued that these two thinkers not only...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diacritics 2006-03, Vol.36 (1), p.14-29
Main Author: Vogt, Erik Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Christianity
Concrete versus abstract
Ethics
Mouffe, Chantal
Ontology
Political alliances
Politics
Theology
Violence
Zizek, Slavoj
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Summary:Slavoj Žižek's fascinating and complex attempt at an appropriation of the authentic legacy of Christianity for a revivified politics of universality is traced in the light of certain affinities to concepts of Carl Schmitt's political theology. It is argued that these two thinkers not only share a similar canon of (Christian) thinkers, but also an emphasis on the necessity of maintaining and/or reintroducing a distinction between friend and enemy for a properly political thought. Moreover, particular attention is paid to the way the relationship between Judaism and Christianity is enacted in several of Žižek's texts.
ISSN:0300-7162
1080-6539
1080-6539
DOI:10.1353/dia.2008.0003