Happy birthday, Thomas Hobbes

Thu Apr 5 16:10:12 PDT 2007

Rules have their exceptions, and I don't think your daughter's rule applies here.  While I make no claims to being a Schmitt scholar, I've read all of his work that has been translated into English, and I've also read Yoo's work; to understand Schmitt certainly helps one to critically engage with Yoo.  What's so extravagant about that?  That is, I would second Professor Levinson's observations.  And, yes, happy birthday to Thomas Hobbes - as luck would have it, I began teaching Part I of Leviathan this morning.

Rose

William Rose  
Associate Professor of Political Science and 
Director of the Law, Justice, & Society Concentration
Albion College
Albion, Michigan  49224
>>> Kurt Lash <Kurt.Lash at lls.edu> 04/05/07 4:12 PM >>>
Regarding attempts to link VP Cheney and the work of Prof's Yoo and 
Paulsen to Carl Schmitt:

My daughter tells me that out of her many on-line debates over 
religion, politics and the Constitution, a rule has emerged:  Whoever 
cries "Nazi" first loses the argument.

I think it's a good rule.

Kurt Lash
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

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Given the tenor of this whole discussion, it seems appropriate that =
today is the birthday of the greatest English-language political =
philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.  (Greatest obviously doesn't mean most =
attractive!)  At the end of the day, he lives in our consciousness more =
than his more palatable successor John Locke (though, of course, Locke's =
theory of prerogative is also essential to our conversation).  And it's =
no coincidence that a great admirer of Hobbes was Carl Schmitt, a truly =
unattractive person but, nonetheless, also an essential philosopher of =
our time, with regard both to his theory of the centrality of "the =
enemy" in politics (the core to understanding Dick Cheney's view of the =
world) and his theory of "sovereignty" (the core to understanding the =
basic theory of the Bush Presidency and John Yoo's understanding of the =
deep meaning of Article II or Mike Paulsen's of the Oath of Office).  So =
Happy Birthday, Hobbes.  May all of us be around for many years to come =
to continue reading your unblinking views on the nature of our political =
condition!
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<DIV dir=3Dltr><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>Given =
the tenor of this whole discussion, it seems appropriate that today is =
the birthday of the greatest English-language political philosopher, =
Thomas Hobbes.  (Greatest obviously doesn't mean most =
attractive!)  At the end of the day, he lives in our consciousness =
more than his more palatable successor John Locke (though, of course, =
Locke's theory of prerogative is also essential to our =
conversation).  And it's no coincidence that a great admirer of =
Hobbes was Carl Schmitt, a truly unattractive person but, nonetheless, =
also an essential philosopher of our time, with regard both to his =
theory of the centrality of "the enemy" in politics (the core to =
understanding Dick Cheney's view of the world) and his theory of =
"sovereignty" (the core to understanding the basic theory of the Bush =
Presidency and John Yoo's understanding of the deep meaning of Article =
II or Mike Paulsen's of the Oath of Office).  So Happy Birthday, =
Hobbes.  May all of us be around for many years to come to =
continue reading your unblinking views on the nature of our political =
condition!</DIV>=0A=
<DIV dir=3Dltr> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV dir=3Dltr> </DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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