Land und Meer

"Land and Sea" - the elemental conditions of human existence and action shape the character of the orders of international law and wars. The differing views of nations and statesmen on politics, war, enmity, law, and humanity are rooted in their own relationship to space. First published in 1942, this book marks the beginning of Carl Schmitt's later work. What is the "Nomos of the Earth," and is there a chance for a global peace? History is presented here as a confrontation between "land dwellers" and "sea frothers." It reaches its peak in the struggle between England and France under Napoleon. Carl Schmitt has not only presented "Land and Sea" as a theorist but has also shared it with his daughter Anima. In doing so, he conjures the ambiance of piracy while astutely capturing the calculations of absolutism.