Carl Schmitt — Ex Captivitate Salus

Carl Schmitt — Ex Captivitate Salus

Ex Captivitate Salus is an autobiographical, intellectual, and reflective work written by Carl Schmitt after the Second World War. The Latin title, commonly translated as “salvation from captivity,” refers to Schmitt’s experience during the postwar period and provides the starting point for reflections on his intellectual trajectory, law, politics, and the European tradition.

Through brief texts, memories, reflections, and references to historical and literary figures, Schmitt addresses questions concerning the responsibility of the intellectual, the relationship between the individual and power, the European legal tradition, and the political transformations of his time. The work also has a significant autobiographical dimension, offering a personal and retrospective approach to the author’s thought.

A work of particular interest for understanding Schmitt’s intellectual development and for the study of political theory, legal philosophy, contemporary history, and European legal thought.