Constitutional Theory: Schmitt after Derrida

Jacques de Ville is Professor of Law at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

• 1. Introduction2. The concept of the political a. Polemios b. Partisanc. Self3. Constituent power 4. Identity and representation5. The concept of the constitutiona. Khōra b. Crypt6. Human rights7. State, Groβraum, nomos 8. Conclusion

In this important book, Jacques de Ville produces a series of deft and agile analyses of the engagement between Carl Schmitt (one of the most enduringly provocative political thinkers) and Jacques Derrida (perhaps the most penetrating recent textual reader). This work represents a major contribution to debates about political authority and political violence, in our most interesting times. Professor Nick Mansfield, Dean, Higher Degree Research, Professor of Critical and Cultural Studies, Macquarie UniversityJacques de Ville develops an excellent and extensive approach, by revisiting in a masterful way the main themes and political concepts of Carl Schmitt's thought, in the light of the deconstructive analysis of Derrida. In this way, de Ville's approach constitutes also a valuable introduction to Derrida's complex thought, bringing the reader closer to the refined notions of his work. A brilliant combination of clarity and theoretical rigor, Prof. de Ville’s magnificent book harbors the promise of a new configuration, to come, of reflections and debates around constitutional theory. Beyond the borders of constitutional law, Jacques de Ville addresses the reader of human and social sciences to engage in the challenges stemming from the condition of a living together that, in an increasingly drastic rhythm, is marked by promise and danger, complexity and urgency. Prof. Dr. Paulo Cesar Duque-Estrada, Department of Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)