Francesca Monateri

The article explores the concept of ironic ekphrasis in the works of Carl Schmitt, a prominent jurist in the Third Reich and a significant figure in contemporary philosophy. The analysis focuses on Schattenrisse (1913), a collection of satirical portraits, and examines the relationship between politics and aesthetics, particularly the interplay of word and image in Schmitt's literary descriptions. The paper argues that Schmitt’s use of ekphrasis serves as a diagnostic tool, offering a satirical critique of his historical era. However, ekphrasis can also involve a constructive effort: in the realm of “virtualization”, ekphrasis transforms into a creative process. This analysis highlights Schmitt’s ambiguous relationship with German Romanticism, suggesting that elements of ekphrasis and irony become integral to his aesthetic jurisprudence. The article concludes by considering the relevance and implications of Schmitt’s approach to ekphrasis in the contemporary context.

The aim of this chapter is to analyze Carl Schmitt’s morphology starting with his studies on Roman Catholicism as a perfect political form. The possibility of a morphology of Schmitt’s theories of law and the State is often ignored, but Walter Benjamin and Jacob Taubes grasped the centrality of the form in Schmittian philosophy within its political engagement. My thesis is that they suggested an alternative idea of form without settling for a formal dissolution. To deconstruct the formal structure of Western power it is no more satisfactory. The power of gestalt-zerstörend - as Taubes defined it - must be complemented by a forming power, like a narrative capable of addressing the alluring side of political theology.