Spatiality, sovereignty and Carl Schmitt
geographies of the Nomos
"The writings of Carl Schmitt (1888-1985) are now indissociable from both an historical period and a contemporary moment. He will forever be remembered for his association with the National Socialists of 1930s Germany, and as the figure whose writings on sovereignty, politics, and the law provided justification for authoritarian, decisional states. Yet at the same time, the post-September 2001 world is one in which a wide range of scholars have increasingly turned to Schmitt to understand a world of "with us or against us" Manichaeism, spaces of exception which seem to be placed outside the law by legal mechanisms themselves, and the contestation of a uni-polar, post-1989 world. This attention marks out Schmitt as one of the foremost emerging theorists in critical theory and assures his work a large and growing audience. The aim of this book is to bring together geographers, and Schmitt experts who are attuned to the spatial dimensions of his work, to discuss The Nomos of the Earth in the International Law of the Jus Publicum Europaeum (Schmitt, 1950 [2003]). This longest of Schmitts published works saw him expand his interests from domestic to international law"-- "This work brings together geographers, and Schmitt experts who are attuned to the spatial dimensions of his work, to discuss his 1950 work The Nomos of the Earth in the International Law of the Jus Publicum Europaeum. Explaining the growing audience for Schmitt's work, a broad range of contributors also examine the Nomos in relation to broader debates about enmity and war, the production of space, the work of Michel Foucault and Giorgio Agamben, and the recuperability of such an intellect tainted by its anti-Semitism and links to the Nazi party. This work will be of great interest to researchers in political theory, socio-legal studies, geopolitics and critical IR theory"--
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Philosophy, Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
Philosophy · Nonfiction
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Dark tone · Measured pace
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-4156-0067-5
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL24903441M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
Begin with its place in Philosophy, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- What question is the author really asking beneath the book’s main argument?
- Which claim challenges one of your familiar assumptions?
- What remains unresolved—and is that uncertainty useful?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
More Philosophy books
These matches combine shared categories with author, publication-era, and reading-length signals.
A brief history of creation
by Bill Mesler
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Chic Ironic Bitterness
by R. Jay Magill
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Faith enterprise
by Richard Maus
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Footnotes
by Vybarr Cregan-Reid
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Forced Exit
by Wesley J. Smith
Why it fits: shares Philosophy and Nonfiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Recent British Philosophy
by David Masson
Why it fits: shares Nonfiction and Philosophy, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.