The State of Exception is a concept created by political theorist Carl Schmitt (1888-1985). It describes a situation in which Rule of Law fails, as a community’s laws and customs are met by an issue they cannot solve. According to Schmitt, whoever creates law by his decisions and actions in such a situation becomes the community’s sovereign – its final and deciding authority on what is right or wrong.

However, the foundations of Rule of Law reach beyond legal texts and constitutions.  Rule of Law rests on cultural norms, moral values, economic factors and academic research. Hence, those influencing the economy, the academy and the media are able to exercise power just as politicians, the judiciary and police are. 
If they alter, ignore or remove these foundations of a community, they act as sovereigns themselves, playing by their own rules and forcing others to do the same. Today’s political power is often applied less vulgarly than before: it is decentralized, spread over many competing groups, less violent and less aggressive.
The problem is that this will create societal tensions, as groups feel less and less self-controlled, losing faith in the system’s rules designed to keep groups from tyrannizing each other.  As the very foundations of civilized discourse and compromise are seemingly fading away in many countries whilst old ideologies and philosophies seem unable to solve these modern issues, the outcome has the potential to be atrocious.

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We want to stop this. Our goal is to give groups a way to name and defend their own so that others will be able to perceive and respect it; to protect political actors from causing future conflicts that all would suffer from; and to construct and spread a political language and systems that reduce conflict, deceit and powerplay to increase cooperation, truth and exchange so that everyone can prosper in self-determination.

 

This Think Tank serves to educate and gather those interested in informing themselves about or contributing to our cause. To have an altering impact on the world is going to cost us a lot of manpower, resources and money. You can help us start by either sharing our articles and Core Concepts or by donating. Your money will be invested in organizing meetings, writing and editing new educational think pieces and increasing our Think Tank’s political and academic reach. Whatever you choose to do, thank you in advance!

E-Mail: thestateofexception@gmail.com

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