Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Carl Schmitt criticized liberalism by asserting that it negates politics and leads toacrisis of parliamentary democracy. Through his theories on the concept of the political andsovereign decision-making, Schmitt provided a deep analysis of these issues. Masao Maruyama not only highly valued Schmitt’s work but also theoretically borrowed fromhisideas. However, Maruyama placed individual subjectivity at the core of his analysis, usingJapan’s traditional culture and unique historical and social context as his focus. In doingso, Masao Maruyama both supplemented and, in some aspects, refuted Schmitt’s critique of liberalism. For Schmitt, the survival and integrity of the political entity are paramount, necessitating a clear distinction between friends and enemies. His critique of liberalismcenters not only on its moral neutrality but also on its perceived incapacity to make sovereigndecisions that guarantee the preservation of the political entity. In contrast, Maruyama contended that Japanese imperialism elevated the state as “the embodiment of the True, theGood, and the Beautiful,” thereby positioning it as a value-laden entity, creating a metaphysical order seemingly justified by the imperative of national survival. Althoughthismight initially appear to align with Schmitt’s notion of the state’s primacy, Maruyama ultimately critiques this belief as an ideological facade, which devolved into a mere instrument of totalitarian rule.
Author: Yidan Xia
Institutions: Duke University, Fudan University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4404250411