Carl Schmitt’s morphology : from political theology to aesthetics

The aim of this chapter isto analyze Carl Schmitt’smorphologystartingwith his studies on Roman Catholicism as aperfect political form.The possibilityof amorphologyofSchmitt’stheories of lawand the State is often ignored, butWalterBenjamin andJacobTaubesgrasped the centrality of the form in Schmit-tian philosophywithin its political engagement.Mythesis is thatthey suggestedan alternativeidea of form without settling foraformal dissolution.To decon-struct the formal structure ofWestern power it is no more satisfactory.Thepower ofgestalt-zerstörend–as Taubes defined it–must be complemented byaformingpower,likeanarrative capable of addressing the alluringside of polit-ical theology.