Leo Strauss Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 - October 18, 1973), was an influential political philosopher, born in Kirchhain (near Marburg), Hesse, Germany, to Hugo Strauss and Jennie David.At the age of 17, when a student at the famous Gymnasium Philippinum (from which also Johannes Althusius and Carl J. Friedrich graduated), he became a political Zionist, although this - as well as his religious beliefs - changed frequently during his youth and early adulthood. Strauss received his higher education within the German university system, notably at Marburg, Freiburg, and Hamburg, where he took his PhD under Ernst Cassirer. In 1932, Strauss married Marie Bernsohn in Paris, France. In 1934, he moved to England where, in 1935, he accepted a position at Cambridge University. In 1937, Strauss moved to the United States, where he became a Research Fellow in the Department of History at Columbia University. Between 1938 and 1948, he lectured in political science at the New School for Social Research. In 1944, he became a US citizen and from 1949 until 1968, Strauss served as a member of the faculty of the University of Chicago, chiefly as a professor of political philosophy. His primary influence in academia remains confined to political science departments.
In Saul Bellow's quasi-biographical novel Ravelstein, the minor character Davarr is based on Strauss, while the central character of Ravelstein represents Strauss' protegé Allan Bloom.
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2 Criticism 3 Bibliography 4 External links 5 References |
Straussianism, as Strauss's philosophy has come to be called, is predicated on the belief that 20th century relativism, scientism, historicism, and nihilism have been responsible for the deterioration of modern society and philosophy. Some Straussians believe that "universal principles of right" exist and are knowable through careful study of those philosophers who believed in such principles, especially Plato and Aristotle. They reject the modern tendency to interpret the ancient philosophers within the context of the era in which they lived, believing that universal principles transcend historicity. Rather than what is listed above, Strauss appears to have been influenced by Plato and medieval philosophers (such as Maimonides); his philosophy is a reaction to the works of Martin Heidegger, as Strauss and his lifelong friend Jacob Klein had numerous encounters with Heidegger when they were young men. However, there is some controversy surrounding Strauss's teachings. Strauss taught that the writings of many philosophers contained both an exoteric (public) and esoteric (private or hidden) teaching. Some people believe that Strauss's own esoteric teaching was similar or identical to his own interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's thought.
Straussianism is difficult to characterize, as it is more a loose group of scholars who analyze texts in the same manner and keep the same questions in mind while doing so. Primarily, Strauss is recognized for his rediscovery of a manner of writing employed by philosophers. In Persecution and the Art of Writing Strauss recognized that philosophy is ultimately political and that philosophers wrote with political intent. Given that philosophy is necessarily radical relative to common opinion it was necessary for a philosopher to conceal his intent from the majority of the populace, both for their sake (i.e. philosophical challenges to convention have led to many deadly social experiments) and for the philosopher's own sake (i.e. Socrates was put to death by the many for his radical criticism of public opinion).
In addition to what has been discussed above, Strauss constantly stressed the importance of two dichotomies in political philosophy: Athens and Jerusalem (revelation vs. reason) and ancient versus modern political philosophy. Strauss believed that the divide between modern and ancient philosophy, and the dilemma that permeates the modern era, is the relative weight given to the roles of reason and faith in human affairs. Strauss believed that the heavy stress on reason in the works of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, which form the foundation of much of modern political philosophy inasmuch as they serve as the foreground for the notion that human beings more often than not act in rational self-interest, were inadequate bases on which to ground social interaction. Indeed, he believed that an overemphasis on reason led to the deterioration of society.
Strauss taught that the texts of truly "great" philosophers contained both an esoteric and an exoteric level and that the esoteric component was accessible only to those readers willing to carefully analyze and resolve subtle, inherent contradictions within the text. Machiavelli and Plato, he believed, were such philosophers. For instance, Strauss believed that in Plato's Republic, the representative of Plato's true thinking on politics and society was not Socrates, as is generally thought, but Thrasymachus. Strauss believed that Plato used Socrates (who argued that justice was the implementation of goals that led to the greatest harmony, and thus to happiness) to display skill in making the weaker argument appear better, whereas Thrasymachus' argument that justice was the exercise of power was the argument that Plato actually believed to be the stronger one.
Straussianism is generally divided into two schools: The East-coast and West-coast (the East-coast being represented by the late Allan Bloom and the West-coast by Harry Jaffa), but this distinction is overformal, as it is an outgrowth of a personal debate between two individuals, rather than two formalized sets of beliefs. Jaffa has criticized the interpretation of Strauss given by Bloom and the so-called "East-coast" school, as in Jaffa's view this school saw Strauss's esoteric teachings as being similar to Strauss's interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche.
Notable Straussians include: Allan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Harry Jaffa, Martin Diamond, Ralph Lerner, and George Anastaplo. There are, however, Straussians of all stripes: liberals, conservatives, philosophers, metaphysicians, and students of jurisprudence.
For a good introduction to Strauss read What is Political Philosophy from University of Chicago Press, and a good introduction to the Straussian approach to political philosophy read History of Political Philosophy edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey (an anthology with contributions by various Straussian academics).
Strauss has been criticised for his influence on the modern
neo-conservative movement; however, Strauss was, above all, a teacher and a philosopher. Most criticism of Strauss stems from a jaundiced reading of his works; furthermore, Strauss's works are so complex that few can read them well. His primary method of writing was exegetical analysis of major philosophical works.
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