Change Quote by Carl Schmitt
““The transformation of the community into an administrative state responsible for total social welfare leads to a paternal totality without a house-father when it fails to find any archy or cracy that is more than a mere nomos of distribution and production. I consider it to be a utopia when Friedrich Engels promises that one day all power of men over men will cease, that there will be only production and consumption with no problems, and that "things will govern themselves." This things-governing-themselves will make every archy and cracy superfluous , and demonstrate that mankind at last has found its formula, just as, according to Dostoyevsky, the bees found their formula in the beehive, because animal s, too, have their nomos. Most of those who swarm around a nomos basileus fail to notice that, in reality, they propagate just such a formula.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Political Theology, Carl Schmitt, 1922
A fully administrative society that tries to manage all welfare becomes a paternalistic system lacking true authority, resembling a utopia that ultimately fails to provide genuine governance.
In simple terms: Total welfare control creates a paternal state without real power.
Key Takeaway
Beware of over‑centralized welfare systems.
Themes
politics
authority
utopia
societal structure
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- government policy
- social welfare design
- public administration
- political theory
Key Concepts
paternalism
nomos
archic theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does centralization affect personal freedom?
- What alternatives exist to paternalistic welfare?
A Different Perspective
Such systems often ignore individual autonomy and can become oppressive.
