Leiden University Student Repository

Xiong, Xiong (2019)

Protecting Democracy from Liberalism: Defending Carl Schmitt’s Critiques of Liberal Democracy

Master thesis | Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

Carl Schmitt has long been considered as one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century, with his influential analysis of the paradoxes of liberal democracy. The thesis aims to structure Schmitt's theories of such paradoxes and analysis some criticism against them. In the end, the thesis argues that the crisis of liberal democracy lies in its ignorance of egalitarian principles that are central to democracy. Therefore, if democracy is still valued as the best form of governance, it should be protected from liberalism.

Carl Schmitt

democracy

liberalism

Author

Xiong, Xiong

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Philosophical Perspectives of Politics and the Economy

Supervisors

Fossen, Thomas

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en