Democratic backsliding in liberal democracies, along with the rising influence of authoritarian regimes, has been linked to the ideas of German legal theorist Carl Schmitt. Far-right intellectuals in Europe, Russian imperialist ideologues, and figures associated with the Trump administration in the United States explicitly reference the “crown jurist of the Third Reich.” In East Asia, Schmitt’s reception has been notably active—particularly in China. Schmittian concepts such as Großraum (great space), previously rejected due to their compatibility with Japan’s former “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” now serve other geopolitical ambitions. Yet, the status and normative implications of Schmitt’s ideas, especially when deployed against the international liberal order, remain unclear. Do they truly constitute a coherent alternative model? This presentation examines the relationship between Schmitt’s conception of legal theory and its application to politics today. Details and registration here