Land and Sea: The Evolution of "Law" Through Ages -- Maritime Atlas Series

Author: (German) Schmitt, translated by Lin Guojī and Zhou Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: This collection consists of three related works, reflecting Schmitt's historical and metaphysical thoughts on land and sea. After Germany's defeat in its struggle on land and at sea, he turned his final hope toward the sky, calling for the birth of a new order and the leadership of Germany. Schmitt believed that this new order originating from the sky was supported by advanced technology (belonging to the air element), which would render the ancient dichotomy of land and sea ineffective. Towards the end of World War II, as the Third Reich gradually lost its dominance on land and sea, it was indeed secretly developing and testing various bizarre space weapons, to the extent that some people still believe that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are likely the secret legacy left by the Hitler regime. But we now have every reason to dismiss this as a joke. Perhaps the Germans should learn from the Federalists of the New World, who also longed to achieve a certain "dangerous height" in history. But history and experience tell them that to reach a certain "dangerous height," one must first understand humility. The "Leviathan" constructed by the Federalists was based on the humble sea level. Although it lacks the aristocratic arrogance characteristic of land, it does not hinder its ability to rise to a certain "dangerous height." This reminds us of the Leviathan, the maritime hegemon soaring across the heavens in Milton's Paradise Lost, who, when traveling, casts a scorching sun that blocks the sky, exuding immense power. This book is part of the Maritime Atlas series. The author, Schmitt, is a renowned German jurist and has long been hailed as the most charismatic figure in 20th-century political thought. He has written extensively, with sharp and unique ideas. The scope of this book is close to geopolitical research, primarily from a legal perspective, combining historical description with metaphors and symbols to eloquently and vividly discuss the evolution of Europe's modern political landscape: the sea symbolizes the maritime nations of Britain and America and their legal traditions, while the land symbolizes the continental nations and their legal traditions, as well as their birth, evolution, development, decline, and conflicts. The core issue is that the sea and the land represent two different legal and political traditions, whose differences have anthropological roots. Neither war nor science, nor even the unimaginable progress of the future, can erase this difference. In this scenario, the author strives to show his vision of the human destiny in world history, perhaps also for the German nation—the "law" that connects past and present, and the "change" that follows the natural order.