Dieser Podcast von Arcoplexus befasst sich mit der Autorinย Ines Sachsย und ihrem Buchย โApรฉro um zwรถlfโ, das ihren Umzug von Deutschland nach Sรผdfrankreich humorvoll dokumentiert. Das Buch dient als praxisorientierter Ratgeber fรผr Auswanderer und beleuchtet Themen wieย administrative Hรผrden, die Bedeutung derย Sprachintegrationย sowie soziale Rituale wie den franzรถsischenย Apรฉro. Ergรคnzend dazu bieten die Texte Einblicke in Sachs’ beruflich geprรคgten Hintergrund als Projektmanagerinย und ihre verschiedenen digitalen Kanรคle zur Unterstรผtzung von Frankophilen.
Category: Culture
-
Views on left- and right-wing ideology
Ideologies are always prisons of thought based on ignorance rather than tolerance.
Using the example of
Whittaker Chambers: (Cold War Classics) โWitnessโ
vs.
Hannah Arendt: โVita activa or On Active Lifeโ
two responses to the same experience.Common starting point: break with ideology
Chambers experienced
communism as a belief system
the break is existential, almost religious
ideology = attempt to impose meaning on historyArendt
analyzed ideology as a substitute for thinking
Ideology = logic that overwhelms reality
Totalitarianism arises when people stop judgingCommonality:
Ideology is not โthinking wrong,โ but rather no longer thinking.
The decisive difference: What follows from the break?Here, the paths diverge radically.
Chambers: Withdrawal from politics
Central motif in WitnessAnthropology
Man is fallen Power always corrupts History tends toward evilResponse to totalitarianism:
Asceticism, witness, sacrifice, refusal.
Arendt: Return to politics
Central motif in Vita activaFreedom exists only where people act together.Consequences:
Politics is irreplaceable. No salvation, no ultimate goal. Freedom arises between people, not in the soul.Anthropology
Humans are capable of beginning (natality). History is open. Guilt and responsibility are political, not metaphysical.Response to totalitarianism:
Action, public discourse, judgment.
The core conflict
QuestionChambers
Arendt
Where does salvation lie?Outside the world
In the world
Role of politicsDanger
Necessity
Attitude toward historyDoom logic
Openness
Antidote to ideologyFaith
Thinking
FreedomInternal
Public
Why the New Right chooses Chambers โ and avoids Arendt
Chambers is attractive because:he creates meaning clearly distributes guilt and blame makes history readable as a struggle charges politics with moralityperfect for Kulturkampf narratives.
Arendt is uncomfortable because:she promises no salvation she critically examines all camps she demands judgment, not loyalty she desacralizes politicsbad for mobilization, good for freedom.
Blรผcher as the silent keyBlรผcher would say between the two:
โThose who ask for meaning instead of responsibility are fleeing from freedom.โHe shares the break with Chambers,
but with Arendt the consequence:no ideology no doctrine of salvation no ultimate orderOnly action under uncertainty.
Escalation (honest, not conciliatory)Chambers helps us to leave totalitarianism behind.
Arendt helps us to avoid falling back into it.The New Right often stops at the first step.
How Arendt is systematically misunderstood today (e.g., โmass society = liberalismโ)
The fundamental misunderstanding: Arendt = anti-liberalism?
Claim (New Right, but also post-liberals):Arendt showed that liberalism leads to mass society and thus to totalitarianism.What Arendt actually says:
Mass society does not arise from too much freedom, but from the disintegration of the world, bonds, and political action. This can happen in liberal, authoritarian, or revolutionary systems.For Arendt, liberalism is not the cause, but is often too weak to prevent totalitarianism.
Misunderstanding: โMass society = multiculturalism/migrationโ
Right-wing interpretation:โAtomized massesโ = cultural mixing, migration, urbanity Solution: homogeneity, nation, traditionArendt:
Mass = politically uprooted people The decisive factor is lawlessness, not origin. Nation states themselves have produced masses (e.g., stateless persons in the 1930s).Ethnic homogeneity does not protect against totalitarianism โ it often accelerates it.
Misunderstanding: Arendt legitimizes authoritarian order
Right-wing appeal:Order, authority, discipline as a bulwark against chaosArendt:
makes a strict distinction between: authority (recognized, not enforced) power (derived from collective action) force (a substitute for power) Authoritarian regimes destroy power; they do not stabilize it.Those who confuse violence with order reproduce totalitarian logic.
Misunderstanding: Arendt = cultural pessimism
Simplified interpretation:Modernity = decline Technology, consumption, equality = threatArendt:
criticizes depoliticization, not modernity Technology is not the problem, but when it replaces human action Equality is a prerequisite for politics, not its enemyArendt is not a cultural critic in the right-wing sense.
Misunderstanding: โThe banality of evilโ = trivialization
Frequent right-wing (and popular) misreading:Eichmann was โjust a cog in the wheelโ Guilt disappears in the systemArendt means:
Eichmann was guilty, but not demonic, rather lacking in judgment which is more dangerous than fanaticismEvil does not become smaller, but closer.
This is uncomfortable for right-wing movements:
Guilt cannot be externalized. Even โnormal patriotsโ can bear injustice.Misunderstanding: Arendt as defender of โWestern values.โ
Instrumentalization:Arendt as key witness for โdefense of civilization.โ The West vs. barbarism.Arendt:
Rejects myths of civilization Totalitarianism is modern, Western, rational Not a โforeignโ diseaseThose who use Arendt for cultural warfare have already lost.
The blind spot of the New RightThe New Right adopts:
Arendt's diagnosis of fear Her criticism of ideology Her skepticism toward narratives of progressIt rejects:
Judgment against its own side Plurality Public sphere without compulsory loyaltyArendt would say:
Ideology begins where thinking ends โ even on the right.Misunderstanding: Liberals also misread Arendt
Not just the right.
Liberal simplification:Arendt = constitution, institutions, rule of lawProblem:
Arendt was skeptical of pure administrative liberalism without a vibrant public sphere, institutions collapse Bureaucracy is politically empty, not neutralArendt is anti-technocratic, not anti-liberal.
Arendt is anti-technocratic, not anti-liberal.
The New Right reads Arendt as a warning against freedom. Liberals read her as a defender of order. Both are wrong.Arendt defends freedom as a practice.
And that makes her dangerous to any camp logic.
Hannah Arendt โ Carl Schmitt
Why their proximity is assertedโand their opposition is concealed
Why they are mentioned together at allThe New Right likes to claim:
โArendt and Schmitt both analyze the crisis of liberalism.โFormally, this is true:
both criticize liberal legalism both do not see politics as administration both reject optimism about progressBut:
They draw opposite conclusions from this.
The decisive contrast (one sentence)Schmitt asks: Who decides in a state of emergency? Arendt asks: How can people act together without a state of emergency?Understanding of politics
Carl SchmittPolitics = friendโenemy distinction The political is conflictual or not at all Unity arises through demarcation Homogeneity is a prerequisite for political orderPolitics requires decision-making, if necessary against the law.
Hannah ArendtPolitics = plural space of appearance Politics arises between different parties Conflict yes, but not existential Homogeneity destroys politicsPolitics needs publicity, not decision-making power.
State of emergency vs. natality
SchmittSovereignty lies with those who decide on states of emergency. Exceptions are the moment of truth in politics. Law thrives on the breaking of law.Order is always precarious, hence authoritarian safeguards.
ArendtCentral concept: natality (the ability to begin) Politics thrives on new beginnings, not on exceptions A state of emergency is political failureFreedom begins where violence ends.
Power and violence (fundamental!)
SchmittPower = decision-making power Violence is a legitimate political means Law is ultimately based on violenceArendt
Power arises from joint action Violence is a loss of power Violence destroys legitimacy, even if it is effectiveHere, any reconciliation is impossible.
People, unity, homogeneity
SchmittDemocracy = identity of the rulers and the ruled This presupposes homogeneity Exclusion is democratically legitimateArendt
The people are not a substance Political community arises through participation Rights arise from belonging to the world, not from identitySchmitt needs exclusion.
Arendt needs plurality.
Relationship to liberalism
Schmitt’s criticismLiberalism = depoliticization
Discussion replaces decision-making
Morality supplants powerโ Solution: authoritarian sovereignty.
Arendt’s critiqueLiberalism = danger of administration Politics is replaced by bureaucracy Public life becomes desolateโ Solution: more politics, not less.
Same diagnosis โ opposite therapy.
Why the New Right โSchmittizesโ ArendtTypical strategy:
Arendt quotes on crisis, masses, ideology combined with Schmitt's: Decision Sovereignty Exception Result: seemingly โhumane SchmittโThis is intellectually dishonest:
Arendt undermines Schmitt's entire foundation her concepts of power and freedom directly contradict himThe moral dividing line
SchmittLaw follows power Guilt is secondary Loyalty is decisiveArendt
Guilt is personal Thinking is a duty Loyalty is never an excuseEichmann vs. State of Emergency.
Escalation Schmitt thinks about politics in terms of war.
Arendt thinks about politics in terms of action. Schmitt needs enemies to create order.
Arendt needs others to enable freedom.Why this is crucial today
Those who equate Arendt with Schmitt:
legitimize states of emergency moralize power depoliticize responsibilityArendt would be radical here:
The state of emergency is not the salvation of politics, but its end.Carl Schmitt and the authoritarian left
Basic idea: Schmitt’s core conceptsThe central Schmittian concept:
Sovereignty = Who decides on the state of emergency
Power concentrates when rules fail.
The sovereign stands above the law in order to enforce order or transformation.
Friendโenemy logic
Politics is always conflict.
Unity arises through demarcation.
State decision โซ Moral or liberal principles
Legal norms are secondary to effective power.Why this is attractive to the authoritarian left
a) State-centered solution to crisesMarxists, Leninists, or Stalinists seek instruments to enforce radical transformation. Schmitt provides legitimation for executive power beyond liberal restrictions.b) State of emergency as a political strategy
Revolution = โpermanent state of emergency.โ Schmitt's theory allows for: Emergency as a moment of political clarity. Overriding the law as a legitimate means.c) Friendโenemy logic for class struggle.
The left can interpret โbourgeoisie vs. proletariatโ as a political exceptional relationship. Schmitt's concept becomes the legal or strategic basis for class politics.d) Rejection of liberal civil society
Liberal institutions = obstacle to radical transformation. Schmitt shows how law and democracy can be formal without real transformative power.Tensions / limits
Schmitt is not a leftist; he defends the state and order, not revolution. Schmitt's emphasis on national homogeneity clashes with internationalist leftist thinking. Schmitt wants to limit the state of exception to sovereignty, not to permanent revolution.Conclusion: Leftists selectively adopt, often only, the mechanism of power concentration, not his conservative philosophy of the state.
Historical examples
ActorHow Schmitt was received
Leninism / StalinismSchmitt’s justification of exceptions as justification for the โdictatorship of the proletariatโ
Italian left (Gramsci circle)Schmitt’s friend-enemy logic for bloc formation in class struggle
Neo-Marxists / Critical theorySchmitt as an analytical tool: states of emergency, political decision-making mechanisms, but without normative approval
Comparison: left vs. right Schmitt reception
FeatureRight
Authoritarian left
State of emergencyProtection of the nation, culture, order
Transformation, revolution, class rule
FriendโenemyNation / identity
Classes, global enemies
LegitimacyDefense, preservation
Radical transformation
Relationship to freedomSecondary, often repressive
Secondary, often utopian
Schmitt is technically flexible because he describes mechanisms of power rather than defining them morally. That is why he works on both sides.
The crucial pointSchmitt is attractive to any political movement that wants to transcend legal norms in favor of radical decisions.
Right: Nation, tradition, identity
Left: Revolution, class rule, transformation
Both ignore Schmitt’s normative concern that sovereignty is always bound to responsibility and concrete community.Views on left-wing and right-wing ideology
in german:
Ansichten zur linken und rechten Ideologie
Ideologien sind immer Denkgefรคngnisse die auf Ignoranz basieren und nicht auf Toleranz.
am Beispiel von
Whittaker Chambers: (Cold War Classics) โWitnessโ
vs.
Hannah Arendt: โVita activa oder Vom tรคtigen Lebenโ
zwei Antworten auf dieselbe Erfahrung.
1Gemeinsamer Ausgangspunkt: Bruch mit der Ideologie
Chambers
- erlebte den Kommunismus als Glaubenssystem
- der Bruch ist existentiell, fast religiรถs
- Ideologie = Versuch, der Geschichte einen Sinn aufzuzwingen
Arendt
- analysierte Ideologie als Ersatz fรผr Denken
- Ideologie = Logik, die Realitรคt รผberrollt
- Totalitarismus entsteht, wenn Menschen aufhรถren zu urteilen
Gemeinsamkeit:
Ideologie ist nicht โfalsch denkenโ, sondern nicht mehr denken.
Der entscheidende Unterschied: Was folgt aus dem Bruch?
Hier trennen sich die Wege radikal.
Chambers: Rรผckzug aus der Politik
Zentrales Motiv in Witness
Geschichte ist ein geistlicher Kampf, den der Mensch nicht gewinnen kann.
Konsequenzen:
- Politik ist sekundรคr, fast gefรคhrlich
- Erlรถsung liegt auรerhalb der politischen Welt
- Christentum = letzte Wahrheit gegen geschichtsphilosophische Hybris
Anthropologie
- Mensch ist gefallen
- Macht korrumpiert immer
- Geschichte tendiert zum Bรถsen
Antwort auf Totalitarismus:
Askese, Zeugenschaft, Opfer, Verweigerung.
Arendt: Rรผckkehr in die Politik
Zentrales Motiv in Vita activa
Freiheit existiert nur dort, wo Menschen gemeinsam handeln.
Konsequenzen:
- Politik ist unersetzlich
- keine Erlรถsung, kein Endziel
- Freiheit entsteht zwischen Menschen, nicht in der Seele
Anthropologie
- Mensch ist anfangsfรคhig (Natalitรคt)
- Geschichte ist offen
- Schuld und Verantwortung sind politisch, nicht metaphysisch
Antwort auf Totalitarismus:
Handeln, รffentlichkeit, Urteilskraft.
Der Kernkonflikt
Frage Chambers Arendt Wo liegt das Heil? Auรerhalb der Welt In der Welt Rolle der Politik Gefahr Notwendigkeit Haltung zur Geschichte Untergangslogik Offenheit Gegenmittel zur Ideologie Glaube Denken Freiheit innerlich รถffentlich
Warum die Neue Rechte Chambers wรคhlt โ und Arendt meidet
Chambers ist attraktiv, weil:
- er Sinn stiftet
- Schuld und Opfer klar verteilt
- Geschichte als Kampf lesbar macht
- Politik moralisch auflรคdt
perfekt fรผr Kulturkampf-Narrative.
Arendt ist unbequem, weil:
- sie keine Erlรถsung verspricht
- sie alle Lager kritisch prรผft
- sie Urteil verlangt, nicht Loyalitรคt
- sie Politik entsakralisiert
schlecht fรผr Mobilisierung, gut fรผr Freiheit.
Blรผcher als stiller Schlรผssel
Blรผcher wรผrde zwischen beiden sagen:
โWer nach Sinn statt nach Verantwortung fragt, flieht vor Freiheit.โ
Er teilt mit Chambers den Bruch,
aber mit Arendt die Konsequenz:- keine Ideologie
- keine Heilslehre
- keine letzte Ordnung
Nur Handeln unter Unsicherheit.
Zuspitzung (ehrlich, nicht versรถhnlich)
Chambers hilft, den Totalitarismus zu verlassen.
Arendt hilft, danach nicht wieder hineinzugeraten.Die Neue Rechte bleibt oft beim ersten Schritt stehen.
Wie Arendt heute systematisch missverstanden wird (z. B. โMassengesellschaft = Liberalismusโ)
Das Grundmissverstรคndnis: Arendt = Anti-Liberalismus?
Behauptung (Neue Rechte, aber auch Postliberale):
Arendt habe gezeigt, dass Liberalismus zur Massengesellschaft und damit zum Totalitarismus fรผhre.
Was Arendt tatsรคchlich sagt:
- Massengesellschaft entsteht nicht aus zu viel Freiheit,
- sondern aus Zerfall von Welt, Bindungen und politischem Handeln.
- Das kann in liberalen, autoritรคren oder revolutionรคren Systemen passieren.
Liberalismus ist bei Arendt nicht Ursache, sondern oft zu schwach, um Totalitarismus zu verhindern.
Missverstรคndnis: โMassengesellschaft = Multikulturalismus / Migrationโ
Rechte Lesart:
- โAtomisierte Massenโ = kulturelle Vermischung, Migration, Urbanitรคt
- Lรถsung: Homogenitรคt, Nation, Tradition
Arendt:
- Masse = politisch entwurzelte Menschen
- entscheidend ist Rechtslosigkeit, nicht Herkunft
- Nationalstaaten selbst haben Massen produziert (z. B. Staatenlose der 1930er)
Ethnische Homogenitรคt schรผtzt nicht vor Totalitarismus โ oft beschleunigt sie ihn.
Missverstรคndnis: Arendt legitimiere autoritรคre Ordnung
Rechte Berufung:
- Ordnung, Autoritรคt, Disziplin als Bollwerk gegen Chaos
Arendt:
- unterscheidet strikt:
- Autoritรคt (anerkannt, nicht erzwungen)
- Macht (aus gemeinsamem Handeln)
- Gewalt (Ersatz fรผr Macht)
- Autoritรคre Regime zerstรถren Macht, sie stabilisieren sie nicht.
Wer Gewalt mit Ordnung verwechselt, reproduziert totalitรคre Logik.
Missverstรคndnis: Arendt = Kulturpessimismus
Verkรผrzte Lesart:
- Moderne = Verfall
- Technik, Konsum, Gleichheit = Bedrohung
Arendt:
- kritisiert Entpolitisierung, nicht Moderne
- Technik ist nicht das Problem,
- sondern wenn sie menschliches Handeln ersetzt
- Gleichheit ist Voraussetzung von Politik, nicht ihr Feind
Arendt ist keine Kulturkritikerin im rechten Sinn.
Missverstรคndnis: โBanalitรคt des Bรถsenโ = Verharmlosung
Hรคufige rechte (und populรคre) Fehllektรผre:
- Eichmann sei โnur ein Rรคdchenโ
- Schuld verschwinde im System
Arendt meint:
- Eichmann war schuldig,
- aber nicht dรคmonisch,
- sondern urteilslos
- das ist gefรคhrlicher als Fanatismus
Das Bรถse wird nicht kleiner, sondern nรคher.
Fรผr rechte Bewegungen ist das unangenehm:
- man kann Schuld nicht externalisieren
- auch โnormale Patriotenโ kรถnnen Unrecht tragen
Missverstรคndnis: Arendt als Verteidigerin โwestlicher Werteโ
Instrumentalisierung:
- Arendt als Kronzeugin fรผr โZivilisationsverteidigungโ
- Westen vs. Barbarei
Arendt:
- lehnt Zivilisationsmythen ab
- Totalitarismus ist modern, westlich, rational
- keine โfremdeโ Krankheit
Wer Arendt fรผr Kulturkampf nutzt, hat sie bereits verloren.
Der blinde Fleck der Neuen Rechten
Die Neue Rechte รผbernimmt:
- Arendts Angstdiagnose
- ihre Kritik an Ideologie
- ihre Skepsis gegenรผber Fortschrittsnarrativen
Sie verweigert:
- Urteilskraft gegen die eigene Seite
- Pluralitรคt
- รffentlichkeit ohne Loyalitรคtszwang
Arendt wรผrde sagen:
Ideologie beginnt dort, wo Denken endet โ auch rechts.
Gegenmissverstรคndnis: Auch Liberale lesen Arendt falsch
Nicht nur Rechte.
Liberale Verkรผrzung:
- Arendt = Verfassung, Institutionen, Rechtsstaat
Problem:
- Arendt war skeptisch gegenรผber reinem Verwaltungs-Liberalismus
- ohne lebendige รffentlichkeit kippen Institutionen
- Bรผrokratie ist politisch leer, nicht neutral
Arendt ist anti-technokratisch, nicht anti-liberal.
Die Neue Rechte liest Arendt als Warnerin vor Freiheit.
Liberale lesen sie als Verteidigerin von Ordnung.
Beides ist falsch.Arendt verteidigt Freiheit als Praxis.
Und das macht sie fรผr jede Lagerlogik gefรคhrlich.
Hannah Arendt โ Carl Schmitt
Warum ihre Nรคhe behauptet โ und ihr Gegensatz verschwiegen wird
Warum sie รผberhaupt zusammen genannt werden
Die Neue Rechte behauptet gern:
โArendt und Schmitt analysieren beide die Krise des Liberalismus.โ
Formal stimmt das:
- beide kritisieren liberalen Legalismus
- beide sehen Politik nicht als Verwaltung
- beide lehnen Fortschrittsoptimismus ab
Aber:
Sie ziehen daraus entgegengesetzte Schlรผsse.
Der entscheidende Gegensatz (ein Satz)
Schmitt fragt: Wer entscheidet im Ausnahmezustand?
Arendt fragt: Wie kรถnnen Menschen gemeinsam handeln, ohne Ausnahmezustand?
Politikverstรคndnis
Carl Schmitt
- Politik = FreundโFeind-Unterscheidung
- das Politische ist konfliktiv oder gar nicht
- Einheit entsteht durch Abgrenzung
- Homogenitรคt ist Voraussetzung politischer Ordnung
Politik braucht Entscheidung, notfalls gegen Recht.
Hannah Arendt
- Politik = pluraler Raum des Erscheinens
- Politik entsteht zwischen Verschiedenen
- Konflikt ja, aber nicht existenziell
- Homogenitรคt zerstรถrt Politik
Politik braucht รffentlichkeit, nicht Entscheidungsmacht.
Ausnahmezustand vs. Natalitรคt
Schmitt
- Souverรคn ist, wer รผber den Ausnahmezustand entscheidet
- Ausnahme ist der Wahrheitsmoment der Politik
- Recht lebt vom Bruch des Rechts
Ordnung ist immer prekรคr, daher autoritรคre Absicherung.
Arendt
- Zentralbegriff: Natalitรคt (Anfangsfรคhigkeit)
- Politik lebt vom Neuanfang, nicht von der Ausnahme
- Ausnahmezustand ist politisches Scheitern
Freiheit beginnt dort, wo Gewalt endet.
Macht und Gewalt (fundamental!)
Schmitt
- Macht = Entscheidungskraft
- Gewalt ist legitimes politisches Mittel
- Recht grรผndet letztlich auf Gewalt
Arendt
- Macht entsteht aus gemeinsamem Handeln
- Gewalt ist Machtverlust
- Gewalt zerstรถrt Legitimitรคt, auch wenn sie effektiv ist
Hier ist jede Versรถhnung unmรถglich.
Volk, Einheit, Homogenitรคt
Schmitt
- Demokratie = Identitรคt von Regierenden und Regierten
- das setzt Homogenitรคt voraus
- Ausschluss ist demokratisch legitim
Arendt
- Volk ist keine Substanz
- politische Gemeinschaft entsteht durch Teilnahme
- Rechte entstehen aus Zugehรถrigkeit zur Welt, nicht aus Identitรคt
Schmitt braucht Ausschluss.
Arendt braucht Pluralitรคt.
Verhรคltnis zum Liberalismus
Schmitts Kritik
- Liberalismus = Entpolitisierung
- Diskussion ersetzt Entscheidung
- Moral verdrรคngt Macht
โ Lรถsung: autoritรคre Souverรคnitรคt.
Arendts Kritik
- Liberalismus = Gefahr der Verwaltung
- Politik wird durch Bรผrokratie ersetzt
- รffentlichkeit verรถdet
โ Lรถsung: mehr Politik, nicht weniger.
๐ Gleiche Diagnose โ entgegengesetzte Therapie.
Warum die Neue Rechte Arendt โschmittisiertโ
Typische Strategie:
- Arendt-Zitate zu Krise, Masse, Ideologie
- kombiniert mit Schmitts:
- Entscheidung
- Souverรคnitรคt
- Ausnahme
- Ergebnis: scheinbar โhumaner Schmittโ
Das ist intellektuell unredlich:
- Arendt entzieht Schmitt jede Grundlage
- ihre Macht- und Freiheitsbegriffe widersprechen ihm direkt
Die moralische Trennlinie
Schmitt
- Recht folgt Macht
- Schuld ist sekundรคr
- Loyalitรคt entscheidet
Arendt
- Schuld ist persรถnlich
- Denken ist Pflicht
- Loyalitรคt ist nie Entschuldigung
Eichmann vs. Ausnahmezustand.
10. Zuspitzung
Schmitt denkt Politik vom Krieg her.
Arendt denkt Politik vom Handeln her.Schmitt braucht Feinde, um Ordnung zu schaffen.
Arendt braucht Andere, um Freiheit zu ermรถglichen.
Warum das heute entscheidend ist
Wer Arendt mit Schmitt kurzschlieรt:
- legitimiert Ausnahmezustรคnde
- moralisiert Macht
- entpolitisiert Verantwortung
Arendt wรคre hier radikal:
Der Ausnahmezustand ist nicht die Rettung der Politik, sondern ihr Ende.
Carl Schmitt und die autoritรคre Linke
Grundidee: Schmitts Kernkonzepte
Die zentrale Schmittsche Denkfigur:
- Souverรคnitรคt = Wer รผber den Ausnahmezustand entscheidet
- Macht konzentriert sich, wenn Regeln versagen.
- Der Souverรคn steht รผber Recht, um Ordnung oder Transformation durchzusetzen.
- FreundโFeind-Logik
- Politik ist immer Konflikt.
- Einheit entsteht durch Abgrenzung.
- Staatliche Entscheidung โซ Moralische oder liberale Prinzipien
- Rechtsnormen sind sekundรคr gegenรผber effektiver Macht.
Warum das fรผr autoritรคre Linke attraktiv ist
a) Staatszentrierte Lรถsung von Krisen
- Marxisten, Leninisten oder Stalinisten suchen Instrumente, um radikale Transformation durchzusetzen.
- Schmitt liefert Legitimation fรผr Exekutive Macht jenseits liberaler Beschrรคnkungen.
b) Ausnahmezustand als politische Strategie
- Revolution = โdauerhafter Ausnahmezustandโ.
- Schmitts Theorie erlaubt:
- Notstand als Moment der politischen Klarheit
- รbergehung von Recht als legitimes Mittel
c) FreundโFeind-Logik fรผr Klassenkampf
- Linke kรถnnen โBourgeoisie vs. Proletariatโ als politische Ausnahmebeziehung interpretieren.
- Schmitts Begriff wird zur juristischen oder strategischen Untermauerung von Klassenpolitik.
d) Ablehnung liberaler Zivilgesellschaft
- Liberale Institutionen = Hindernis fรผr radikale Umgestaltung.
- Schmitt zeigt, wie Recht und Demokratie formal sein kรถnnen, ohne echte transformative Macht.
Spannungen / Grenzen
- Schmitt ist kein Linker; er verteidigt Staat und Ordnung, nicht Revolution.
- Schmitts Betonung der Nationalhomogenitรคt kollidiert mit internationalistischem Linken-Gedanken.
- Schmitt will den Ausnahmezustand begrenzen auf Souverรคnitรคt, nicht auf permanente Revolution.
Fazit: Linke nehmen selektiv, oft nur den Mechanismus der Machtkonzentration, nicht seine konservative Staatsphilosophie.
Historische Beispiele
Akteur Wie Schmitt rezipiert wurde Leninismus / Stalinismus Schmittsche Ausnahmebegrรผndung als Rechtfertigung fรผr โDiktatur des Proletariatsโ Italienische Linke (Gramsci-Kreis) Schmitts FreundโFeind-Logik fรผr Blockbildung im Klassenkampf Neo-Marxisten / Kritische Theorie Schmitt als Analysewerkzeug: Ausnahmezustรคnde, politische Entscheidungsmechanismen, jedoch ohne normative Zustimmung
Vergleich: Linke vs. Rechte Schmitt-Rezeption
Merkmal Rechte Autoritรคre Linke Ausnahmezustand Schutz der Nation, Kultur, Ordnung Transformation, Revolution, Klassenherrschaft FreundโFeind Nation / Identitรคt Klassen, globale Feinde Legitimation Verteidigung, Erhalt Radikale Umgestaltung Verhรคltnis zu Freiheit Sekundรคr, oft repressiv Sekundรคr, oft utopisch โก๏ธ Schmitt ist technisch flexibel, weil er Machtmechanismen beschreibt, nicht moralisch definiert. Darum funktioniert er auf beiden Seiten.
Der entscheidende Punkt
Schmitt ist attraktiv fรผr jede politische Richtung, die Rechtsnormen zugunsten radikaler Entscheidung รผberschreiten will.
- Rechte: Nation, Tradition, Identitรคt
- Linke: Revolution, Klassenherrschaft, Umgestaltung
- Beide ignorieren Schmitts normatives Anliegen, dass Souverรคnitรคt immer an Verantwortung und konkrete Gemeinschaft gebunden ist.
Ansichten zur linken und rechten Ideologie
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Retiring in France
Some of you asked for a follow up on how things are going after moving (early military retiree) to France.
We are in Toulouse and we’ve explored some of our temporary neighborhood for a few days. We’re in an AirBnB until I find us a permanent rental. Speaking of…
To get a dossier facile completed, which is the French rental portfolio most landlords ask for (since they do not have the US-style credit scoring agencies here) I must translate all my documents to French. You can either pay to do this, or (like me) you can spend days doing this yourself on Canva. It’s painstaking work to reformat every dollar amount to euros and check that something hasn’t translated improperly. I’m actually taking a break from the salt mines to write this so I can be *somewhat* creative today. This is the point when reality hits and when people start to rethink their life choices. So far I’m not toe to toe with the ledge yet but my typing fingers are taking a beating.
Most French are very polite about the language barrier, but some are not. That’s just the nature of people *shrug*. Even if you start in French but try in English they may not want to switch to English, or may not be able to. It’s their country and their language, after all. I’m B1 level but of course, I do not know all the vocab words for everything, nor all the proper verbs. At the Christmas market last night, a vendor asked me in French if I wanted my pecan pie warmed up. Did I understand her? Absolutely not. Instead she popped it in the microwave and said something like, “I’m just going to warm it for her regardless” to her other vendor, and I’m thankful she did because it was so much better warm. Another customer service rockstar was the returns clerk at our closest Monoprix- he spoke really good English and made sure to help us out with buying a Christmas tree and pricing an expensive dragonfruit, all with a smile. The “Bonjour” is everything, EVERYTHING, when you enter a places or even sit down by someone in public, and “Merci pour votre patience” goes a long way with people when you’re trying to communicate but struggling, as well.
Everyone is dressed more stylishly than me, including the children and the homeless.
Another helpful tip is to DIGITALLY SCAN EVERYTHING before you leave. Scan all your paperwork, medical files, statements, records, bills, tax returns, pension certificates etc. unless you’re sure you’ll have both digital access or access to a printer/scanner when you move. I haven’t installed my VPN yet and I’m currently blocked from accessing a savings account statement online on their website (because now I have a french IP at the AirBnB) which I need for my Garantme guarantor file, which then FEEDS INTO the dossier facile, but I saved a digital copy before I left and can access that on my Google Drive. Only 9 years of military bureaucracy could have properly prepared me for dealing with this intense level of French paperwork. I am thriving.
I’m currently struggling with the laundry situation. The AirBnB has a very old, very tiny (in comparison to American) washer, and only a drying rack. No outdoor drying lines or windows with drying access (top floor, ceiling windows). I sent a silent prayer of thanks to my Depression-era grandmother who taught me how to dry clothes on a line and by a radiator, because otherwise I’d be sunk.
I’ve seen four sets of fake eyelashes, no BBL’s, no unrealistic plastic surgery/Botox treatments, and maybe 3 ladies with a full face of make up on since we landed in Paris and then flew to Toulouse. No one is contouring/wearing drag make up during the daytime. The younger girls wear more make up than we aged swamp witches. I am in my element. Just plucking my chin hairs makes me feel fully made up. I added eyebrows yesterday and immediately turned into Cindy Crawford. May do eyebrows/mascara tomorrow and become Ms. Universe, we’ll see. I really do love the lack of pressure to be “picture plastic perfect” here, though. Its a huge bonus.
So far, my daughter and I have managed Christmas shopping for each other, grocery shopping, land navigation, and getting 15k steps in every day just by walking to the places we need to get to. My body literally hurts from how out of shape I am and how much walking I have to do now that I don’t have a car. I’m so happy about it, though, since I moved here for the car-free life. I HATE driving, especially in California lol. I will adapt and overcome.
That is all for now. I did have a quintessentially French moment as I was shopping; I bought a sandwich and an Orangina and sat in a chair in the sidewalk and took my time eating it, while savoring the architecture and people-watching (pictured). Monday we may conquer the bus/public transportation, since there’s a tourism office nearby and they can explain how to buy fares. A la prochaine !
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Berliner Tageblatt, โTen Years of Niceโ
Kurt and Theodor Wolff, the Berliner Tageblatt, โTen Years of Nice,โ and Alfred NeumannโFacets of a Liberal Public Sphere.
These men were primarily active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, with a focus on the period between the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The history of the German press and intellectual world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is hardly conceivable without the Berliner Tageblatt. As one of the most important liberal mass-circulation newspapers of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic, it was not only a news medium but also a forum for political debate, literary innovation, and European self-understanding. This environment attracted personalities such as Kurt and Theodor Wolff and authors such as Alfred Neumann, whose contributions exemplify the connection between journalism, literature, and political thought.
Theodor Wolff, long-time editor-in-chief of the Berliner Tageblatt, had a decisive influence on the newspaper. He understood journalism as a moral and political task. Under his leadership, the newspaper developed into a voice for liberalism, the rule of law, and understanding between European nations. Wolff’s editorials combined analytical acuity with linguistic elegance and made the Berliner Tageblatt a leading medium for the educated public. His work showed that political journalism could be more than mere reporting: it became intellectual intervention.
Kurt Wolff, although not directly part of the editorial team, represented a similar intellectual attitude. As one of the most important publishers of the 20th century, he promoted authors of literary modernism such as Franz Kafka, Georg Trakl, and Else Lasker-Schรผler. The proximity between the press and literature, as evidenced in the environment of the Berliner Tageblatt, points to a common cultural project: the renewal of language, thought, and social sensitivity. Kurt Wolff’s publishing work thus complemented Theodor Wolff’s journalistic work on a different, literary level.
One example of the Berliner Tageblatt’s European perspective is its review โTen Years of Nice.โ Such articles were typical of the paper: they combined current politics with historical reflection. The reference to Niceโas a venue for international conferences and diplomatic negotiationsโsymbolizes the paper’s interest in European power relations, peace agreements, and Germany’s role in international politics. Reviews of this kind served not only to inform readers, but also to educate them politically.
Alfred Neumann, who contributed to the intellectual milieu of the time as a journalist and writer, can also be placed in this context. His texts often combined political analysis with literary ambition, thus fitting in with the profile of the Berliner Tageblatt. Authors such as Neumann embodied the type of writing intellectual who mediated between feature pages, political commentary, and literary form.
In summary, it can be said that Kurt and Theodor Wolff, the Berliner Tageblatt, articles such as โTen Years in Nice,โ and authors such as Alfred Neumann were part of a shared cultural context. They represent an era in which journalism, literature, and politics were closely intertwined and in which liberal public discourse was understood as a central prerequisite for democratic culture. Looking back, it becomes clear how fragileโand at the same time how significantโthis tradition was.
These men were primarily active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, with a focus on the period between the German Empire and the Weimar Republic.
Theodor Wolff (1868โ1943)
- Active approx. 1900โ1933
- Editor-in-chief of the Berliner Tageblatt from 1906 to 1933
- A defining figure of left-wing liberal journalism in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic
- Had to go into exile from the Nazis in 1933
Kurt Wolff (1887โ1963)
- Active from around 1910 until the 1950s
- Most important publisher of literary modernism
- Focus of his work: the 1910s and 1920s
- Also emigrated after 1933 (USA)
Alfred Neumann (1895โ1952)
- Active primarily in the 1920s and early 1930s
- Journalist and writer of the Weimar Republic
- Wrote political and literary texts
- Emigration after 1933
Shared historical context
- German Empire (1871โ1918)
- First World War
- Weimar Republic (1919โ1933)
- End of their activities in Germany due to the National Socialists’ seizure of power
Overall, they belonged to Germany’s liberal intellectual public sphere between 1900 and 1933.
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รze Village โ History, topography, and cultural transformation of a Mediterranean mountain village
รze Village towers above the sparkling ribbon of the Mediterranean Sea like a silent witness to a complex past. Perched on a steep rocky outcrop on the French Riviera, the village uniquely combines traces of early Ligurian cultures, medieval power struggles, modern fortification policies, and the cultural trends of the Belle รpoque. Its development is a prime example of the transformation of Mediterranean settlements from strategic strongholds to symbolic cultural landscapes.
1. The beginnings: Ligurian settlements and Roman spheres of influence
The earliest traces of human presence in the รze area can be attributed to the Celto-Ligurian tribes who settled in the region around what is now Mont Bastide. The choice of location was motivated by both defensive and economic considerations: the extremely steep topography offered protection from attackers, while the proximity to the sea facilitated trade.
With Roman expansion in Provence, the entire coastal region was integrated into a systematic administrative and transportation system. Although รze itself was not at the center of Roman urbanity, continuous settlement established itself along the coast, particularly in รze-sur-Mer. The Roman presence also left behind agricultural techniques such as terraced farming and olive cultivation, which shaped the landscape until modern times.
รze Village – Cactus Garden 2. Medieval consolidation: between Provence and Savoy
From the High Middle Ages onwards, รze developed into a fortified village, which was ideal for military purposes due to its location at an altitude of 430 meters. From then on, its history was marked by territorial conflicts: รze initially belonged to the County of Provence.
From the 14th century onwards, it fell under the rule of the House of Savoy. The conflict between Savoy and France in the 17th century led to multiple changes in strategy and ultimately to its integration into the Kingdom of France.
The medieval streets โ now home to artists’ studios and boutiques โ were originally designed for defensive purposes. The village functioned as a stone labyrinth intended to confuse attackers. The central fortress, the citadel of รze, was repeatedly expanded, but fell victim to Louis XIV’s strategic order of destruction in 1706. Today’s platform with the โJardin Exotiqueโ is a relic of this military past.
3. Modern infrastructure: Fort Rรฉvรจre as part of national defense systems
In the 19th century, รze once again became the focus of French military planning due to its geographical location. Fort Rรฉvรจre, located in the hinterland above the village, was built after 1870 as part of the so-called Sรฉrรฉ de Riviรจres system โ a network of modern fortifications of European significance, created in response to the Franco-Prussian War.
Fort Rรฉvรจre is characterized by: a polygonal layout with casemates, embrasures in all directions, massive walls made of stone and concrete, devices for communication with neighboring coastal and mountain forts.
Although Fort Rรฉvรจre was never involved in combat, it played a role in monitoring the coast and securing the Italian-French border. Today, as a restored monument, it offers one of the most impressive panoramic views of the Riviera and symbolizes an era of European rearmament that changed fundamentally with the First World War.
4. Chรขteau Balsan โ Riviera romance and sophisticated
The advent of Riviera tourism in the 19th century marked the beginning of a new era for รze. Chรขteau Balsan played a special role in this development. Industrialist รmile Balsan, who came from an influential textile family, acquired the estate and transformed it into a sophisticated retreat.
The chรขteau is remarkable for cultural and historical reasons: It was a frequent meeting place for the Parisian and international elite. Coco Chanel, who was closely associated with รmile Balsan in her early life, spent long periods here. It was in รze that she made the transition from the world of aristocracy and bohemianism to her calling as a designer.
The subsequent conversion of the building into the exclusive Chรขteau de la Chรจvre d’Or hotel marked another turning point: the Riviera became a luxury destination, while the historic buildings of รze were integrated into tourist and cultural contexts.

5. Continuity and renewal: From an agricultural society to a cultural landscape
Until the early 20th century, รze was still heavily agricultural: olive groves, vineyards, terraced farming, and sheep breeding dominated life. It was only with the expansion of modern transport infrastructureโroads, railways along the coast, and later the Corniche Routesโthat the village underwent structural change.
The significant combination of historic buildings, an exceptional location, and romantic aesthetics led to รze becoming a fixture for: artists and writers, botanists (especially because of the exotic garden), historians, and tourists from all over the world.
Today, รze combines the preservation of its medieval identity with a mixture of arts and crafts, luxury hotels and natural landscape typical of the Cรดte d’Azur.
6. Concluding remarks
รze Village is a prime example of the transformative power of historical sites. Its history encompasses: Ligurian origins, medieval power struggles, French and Savoyard territorial politics, modern fortification systems, the sophisticated culture of the Belle รpoque and modern cultural tourism.
The Chรขteau Balsan and Fort Rรฉvรจre serve as striking anchor points: one embodies the aesthetic and social appeal of the Riviera, the other the strategic importance of the region in an era of geopolitical uncertainty.
รze is thus not only a picturesque mountain village, but also a living archive of European historyโa place where political, cultural, and landscape developments overlap in an extraordinary way.
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Visit to Villa Kรฉrylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mรจr
A visit to Villa Kรฉrylos on the French Riviera is like traveling back in time to the world of the ancient Greeksโbut through the eyes of two passionate scholars of the early 20th century.

The visitโatmosphere and impressions
Upon entering the villa, you are greeted by a light-filled courtyard (peristyle) whose marble columns and water basins are immediately reminiscent of the architecture of classical Greek residences. The rooms are richly decorated with frescoes, mosaics, ornate furniture, and everyday objectsโmany of which were specially crafted based on ancient models, giving visitors the feeling of being in a living archaeology project.
From the open balcony, the view extends across the Mediterranean Sea to the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsulaโa deliberate part of the concept: as in the homes of the ancient Greeks, the sea should always be present.
The owner: Thรฉodore Reinach (1860โ1928)
Thรฉodore Reinach was a French scholar, historian, archaeologist, and politician.
He came from the famous Reinach family of bankers and artists, which belonged to France’s intellectual elite.
Reinach was deeply in love with Greek culture and philology. For him, Villa Kรฉrylos was a life projectโnot as a replica, but as a creative reconstruction of a luxurious residence from the Greek Classical period (2ndโ1st century BC).
He used the villa both as a vacation home and as a place of study and representation.

The architect: Emmanuel Pontremoli (1865โ1956)
The architect Emmanuel Pontremoli was a graduate of the รcole des Beaux-Arts and later its director. He won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1890 and spent years in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.
These travels made him a specialist in Hellenistic architecture, which made him the ideal partner for Reinach’s vision. Pontremoli’s approach was extraordinary: he used modern building materials (concrete, iron), but designed each room according to ancient models, and integrated artisans, sculptors, and furniture designers who created new works specifically for the house based on archaeological models.
Historical background โ Construction of the villa
- Construction period: 1902โ1908
- Style: Hellenistic, inspired by the houses on Delos
- Goal: An โideal Greek houseโ โ not a copy, but an authentic reinterpretation
- Name: Kรฉrylos means โtern,โ a symbol of good luck in Greek mythology
After Reinach’s death in 1928, his family bequeathed the villa to the French Institute, which still manages it today.

Why it’s worth a visit
A tour of Villa Kรฉrylos allows visitors to:
- immerse themselves in the ancient world,
- understand the interplay between science, art, and architecture around 1900,
- and gain insight into the visions of two extraordinary personalities:
a Hellenistic scholar and an architect influenced by Orientalism.
You leave the villa with the impression that you have visited not so much a museum as an ideal Greek house that โ for a moment โ is filled with life again.

A day at Villa Kรฉrylos
The morning over Beaulieu-sur-Mer is still young as you walk along the narrow coastal road. The sea glistens in a milky blue, and the first rays of sunshine cast a silvery shimmer on the water’s surface. In the distance, you can see the simple, light silhouette of Villa Kรฉrylos โ a house that looks as if it has been blown straight from the spirit of antiquity to the coast of the Cรดte d’Azur.
Even the path leading there has something solemn about it. The bay lies calm, as if holding its breath, as you approach the entrance portal. As you cross the threshold, time suddenly seems to slow down.
In the first courtyard, a feeling of clarity envelops you. The sky above you is like a ceiling painting of pure color, and in the center murmurs a small water basinโthe heartbeat of the house. The marble columns cast long shadows that fall across the antique-style mosaics. You feel the noise of the world quietly closing behind you and something else beginning: a silent conversation between you and the spirit of the past.
You wander through the rooms and notice the care that Thรฉodore Reinach and Emmanuel Pontremoli have lavished on every detail. The Andron โ once a place for conversations and banquets โ welcomes you with cool walls decorated with mythological scenes. You imagine Reinach receiving guests here, scholars and artists immersed in passionate discussions about Greece, while outside the waves crash against the rocks.
In the bedroom, your gaze lingers on a golden border that shimmers in the sunlight. You feel as if this is less a room than a thought, artfully materialized. The bed is designed according to ancient models โ simple yet sublime. You wonder if Reinach ever felt here that he was living in two worlds at once: the modern Riviera and ancient Greece.

The library smells of old wood and a hint of the sea. The shelvesโdelicately craftedโstand as silent witnesses to his studies. Perhaps it was here that he immersed himself in his books while Pontremoli further refined the lines and proportions of the villa in his mind. Two men, united by a vision that came to fruition in these rooms: the dream of a house that does not copy the past, but embodies it.
When you finally reach the balcony, the view opens up to a Mediterranean panorama that seems almost unreal in its beauty. The sea lies like a calm cloth before you, and on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, the villas glitter like scattered gems. A gentle breeze brushes your cheek, carrying the scent of salt and pine trees. You lean against the railing, and for a moment, the boundary between now and then seems to blur.
Perhaps this is the moment when you truly understand the villa: it is not a museum, but a conversationโbetween cultures, centuries, people. An ideal built with modern materials and an antique soul. A place that carries the longing not only to preserve beauty, but to live it.
When you leave the villa later and look back once more, it seems to float between the rocks and the sea. Elegant, timeless, a little mysterious. And you know that a part of you remains there, somewhere between the marble columns and the gentle splashing of the fountain, where antiquity came back to life for a moment.