Abstract

The purpose of this work is to justify that in the early legal writings of Carl Schmitt (1912–1922), one can identify a theory of human understanding with hermeneutical characteristics. In particular, we will illustrate how, through the examination of the legal phenomenon, the German jurist identifies and explores human finitude and historicality, both in their personal and epochal dimensions. We will also see how this exploration prompts Schmitt to question the roles of metaphysics, language, and decisions in the interpretation and configuration of the world. In other words, we will argue, drawing upon interpretations such as those offered by Ojakangas and Herrera, that Schmitt’s examination of legal and political phenomena leads him to thematize how human understanding operates in general.