Abstract
This article deals with the counter-Enlightenment in the works of Joseph de Maistre, Juan Donoso Cortés and Carl Schmitt. Political theology is in this context the assertion of a direct and inevitable connection between religion and politics. Secularism has therefore meant a decline in political authority and sovereignty. The purpose of the article is to explore counter-enlightenment arguments in two early works of Carl Schmitt: Politische Romantik and Römischer Katholizismus und politischer Form. One of the arguments of the article is that the counter-Enlightenment has had three main waves or generations and that each has had to deal with an ever more embedded secularization. Going from the first (Maistre) to the second generation (Cortés), a re-theologization of politics is no longer possible. This is the political challenge that Schmitt as representative for the third generation tries and ultimately fails to meet due to the strength of both secularization and his analysis of it.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
