The centuries-old dispute about the nature of power between such classics of political thought as Machiavelli and Montesquieu, Hobbes and Schmitt does not lose its relevance today. One of the leading experts in political philosophy, Alexander Filippov, will help you understand the subtleties and nuances of this conversation. Carl Schmitt is one of the most outstanding and controversial thinkers of the 20th century, who had a huge influence on the development of political philosophy. This publication presents Schmitt's fundamental research on the phenomenon of dictatorship, covering the period of European history starting from the 16th century. Schmitt's research allows us to understand the nature and dynamics of dictatorial regimes of the 20th century, understand the paradoxes of sovereignty and the prospects for democracy.