The new nomos of the earth and the channelling of violence

Abstract

This article develops a theoretical explanation of the patterns of violence and distribution of conflict in contemporary world. It combines the international political thought of Carl Schmitt with an exploration of the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria and tensions over the South China Sea in order to envisage a new spatialisation of the world (‘nomos’ in Schmittian parlance) based around Großräume – ‘large spaces’, that is, powerful agglomerations of states – and peripheral lands in-between. It is thereby stipulated that while direct violence between Großräume is limited (or nonexistent), inter- Großraum competition is channelled towards the periphery, and the three cases presented in this article demonstrate how the exact nature and means of conflict depend on a particular inter- Großraum alignment. This reconceptualisation of the international order is presented in the wider context of Schmitt’s political thought, particularly his notions of the political, sovereignty and the exception in order to elucidate the latent processes behind the formation of state groupings and their willingness to engage in conflict beyond their borders.

On the relevance of Carl Schmitt’s concept of Großraum in contemporary international politics

“…The most outspoken advocate of the Großraum ’s usefulness in explaining contemporary international political developments is Ignas Kalpokas. Kalpokas boldly argues that ‘ Großraum is increasingly becoming a crucial analytical category for approaching international security’ (Kalpokas, 2017: 166), as well as that ‘the current global order is based on multiple Großräume [. .…”

“….] each composed of a group of states possessing a common identity’ (Kalpokas, 2017: 163). He intends to explain the way in which political violence is now distributed in geographic terms around the world, namely its patterns.…”

“…He intends to explain the way in which political violence is now distributed in geographic terms around the world, namely its patterns. These are allegedly better captured by a dualism of core and periphery, or, to use more Schmittian terms, areas of relative order and others which have become instead ‘permanent zones of exception’ (Kalpokas, 2017: 163). Such areas constitute distinct case studies in order to demonstrate the validity of Großraum as a conceptual device to explain and understand contemporary international politics,to manifest different outcomes of the present nomos: Ukraine as limited proxy war due to a standoff between two Großräume , Syria as an all-out proxy war due to the complexity of a multi-way inter- Großraum conflict and South China Sea as a mostly non-violent stand-off, taking place in the immediate inter- Großraum .…”

“…Such areas constitute distinct case studies in order to demonstrate the validity of Großraum as a conceptual device to explain and understand contemporary international politics,to manifest different outcomes of the present nomos: Ukraine as limited proxy war due to a standoff between two Großräume , Syria as an all-out proxy war due to the complexity of a multi-way inter- Großraum conflict and South China Sea as a mostly non-violent stand-off, taking place in the immediate inter- Großraum . (Kalpokas, 2017: 163)…”

“…to manifest different outcomes of the present nomos: Ukraine as limited proxy war due to a standoff between two Großräume , Syria as an all-out proxy war due to the complexity of a multi-way inter- Großraum conflict and South China Sea as a mostly non-violent stand-off, taking place in the immediate inter- Großraum . (Kalpokas, 2017: 163)…”