Carl Schmitt and the political realism

Abstract

In this article, the author defends a particular position of political realism, which he calls "critical", distancing himself from the conventional meaning of the concept of realism. Next, it analyzes what Carl Schmitt understood by realism, what his conception of politics was and how far the critical capacity of his thought reaches. Finally, he concludes that Schmitt's realism is not self-critical enough for not questioning his own categories, so his thought is worth as a concrete example, in a given historical context, which invites us to reflect on realism beyond Schmitt.