Sovereign Human Being

Nyhet

Carl Schmitt, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Responsible Decision-Making

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

AvValentin Jeutner,UK) Jeutner, Dr Valentin (Lund University, Sweden and The University of Oxford,Brian Brock,Susan F Parsons

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Sovereign is who decides; and who decides is responsible. The book develops these two arguments by comparing Carl Schmitt's and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theories of sovereignty. Carl Schmitt was an influential jurist of Nazi Germany. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran priest hanged for his involvement in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. In many ways, the two men could not be more different. But they both struggled with the question of how to maintain order and how to prevent violence at times of crisis. In this considered work, Jeutner brings these two thinkers into careful dialogue. They both agreed that order is established not by appealing to existing norms or general principles but by an individual's sovereign decision. Ascribing sovereignty to individuals communicates that they always have a choice and that they are always responsible for these choices. Thus, it is not just powerful individuals who have the choice to bring wars to an end or who can combat climate change. This exploratory work reveals that, by making sovereign decisions, ordinary individuals, too, can work towards the peaceful resolution of conflicts or reduce their carbon footprint. Making such sovereign decisions is not easy for individuals who are taught to follow orders and norms. For this reason, this book supplements the comparative analysis of Schmitt and Bonhoeffer with an action-guiding decision-making framework. While the proposed framework departs from Schmitt's and Bonhoeffer's theses by recognizing the agency, responsibility, and sovereignty of all individuals, Jeutner argues that this acknowledgement of the universal sovereignty of individuals is the only way to bring about the orderly and peaceful world of which Schmitt and Bonhoeffer dream.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-05-28
Mått156 x 234 x 25 mm
Vikt454 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieT&T Clark Enquiries in Theological Ethics
Antal sidor184
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN9780567717085

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Introduction1. Parallel Lives2. Parallel QuestionChapter 1 - Carl Schmitt's Sovereign Führer1. The Exception2. The Sovereign3. The Decision4. SummaryChapter 2 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Sovereign Superiors1. The Extraordinary Situation2. Sovereign Superiors3. The Decision4. SummaryChapter 3 - The Sovereign Human Being1. Unexceptional Sovereignty2. The Sovereign Human Being3. The De-cision4. A Framework for Sovereign Decision -MakingConclusionBibliographyIndex

A comparison of Carl Schmitt and Dietrich Bonhoeffer—one theorist justifying tyrannical rule and another justifying the termination of this very same rule—may initially appear perplexing and even offensive to some. However, upon closer scrutiny, the rationale behind Jeutner’s decision to juxtapose these two authors becomes evident. Both authors presented theories of sovereignty at the same historical moment, placing the sovereign being and its individual and sovereign choices at their centre. In this light, the boldest choice Jeutner makes is not so much to compare Schmitt and Bonhoeffer. Rather, it is his choice to relate their thoughts on how to decide the state of exception or an extraordinary situation to the everyday decision-making challenges of contemporary life. Jeutner draws on these theories of decision-making under exceptional circumstances to establish an egalitarian theory of sovereign and responsible decision-making, which is applicable not only to extraordinary events but also to everyday action. Individuals are sovereign because they are free to choose. At the same time they are responsible for their choices. To make a decision is to choose one reality over other possible realities. Because we may perceive reality as different as a result of our choices, the reality realised requires justification. Nonetheless, Jeutner’s lucidly argued study has an empowering message for individuals today. Change is possible, but it requires taking one’s individual agency seriously and acting with sovereignty and responsibility to bring about realities that are worth living.

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