The Nature of Man and a Politics on Evil: Carl Schmitt and Martin Luther

Abstract

There is a broad consensus that Carl Schmitt's book Political Theology (PT) (1922) primarily addresses the construction of the sovereign. However, the way Schmitt in PT connects his concept of sovereignty to the theological debate on the nature of man, is often overlooked. In this article, I compare Schmitt's references to Martin Luther (1483–1546) in PT with Luther's writings On Secular Authority (1523) and On the Bondage of the Will (1525). The comparison between Schmitt and Luther pertains to their concepts of (1) the nature of man, (2) evil, and (3) sovereignty. I draw also on the work of Erik Peterson (1890–1960) to enlighten how the relationship and debate between Peterson and Schmitt might have influenced Schmitt's views to a certain extent. The aim is to highlight how Schmitt and Luther each address these concepts concerning the duties of authorities, and to illustrate the similarities and differences between their perspectives. While the comparison between Schmitt and Luther shows that Schmitt shares Lutheran views on the nature of man and the concept of evil, the question remains whether Schmitt merely flirts with Lutheran ideas without fully embracing them.