The universe of Warhammer 40k seems to have reached the stage in the permanent war for pure survival that Carl Schmitt would understand as a completely political world.
Friend and foe can be clearly distinguished as a dichotomy inherent in politics. The distinction is clear, even clearer than in the Middle Ages, armour, weapon and colour clearly separated on the battlefields of the future. The intensity is emphasized to the maximum in appearance, the differences within one’s own group, faction or species are eliminated in the face of the external enemy.
The idea of getting to the bottom of this with students will be presented. Understanding Carl Schmitt’s thinking on Warhammer, but also going beyond that, recognizing the ambiguities inherent in Warhammer and understanding that the right side is usually a decision, good and evil decisions. Learning from and in the game that ambiguity in the political realm cannot be resolved, but only endured. Political understanding in a world of darkness.
A second understanding should also be addressed, from the “enmity” of the game makers to Margaret Thatcher, which is at least repeatedly hinted at, the universe could also be understood as post-political. Her saying “There is no alternative” can be translated as “for the Emperor” or “the greater good”. Warhammer 40k contains at least two contrasting ideas of politics, which will be examined in the lecture and the possibility of their application in the context of school will be explained.
Author bio
Nikolaj Schulte-Wörmann is research assistant in political education/civic education.
