Studies in Platonic Political PhilosophyUniversity of Chicago Press, 2022 M06 22 - 268 pages One of the outstanding thinkers of our time offers in this book his final words to posterity. Studies in Platonic Political Philosophy was well underway at the time of Leo Strauss's death in 1973. Having chosen the title for the book, he selected the most important writings of his later years and arranged them to clarify the issues in political philosophy that occupied his attention throughout his life. As his choice of title indicates, the heart of Strauss's work is Platonism—a Platonism that is altogether unorthodox and highly controversial. These essays consider, among others, Heidegger, Husserl, Nietzsche, Marx, Moses Maimonides, Machiavelli, and of course Plato himself to test the Platonic understanding of the conflict between philosophy and political society. Strauss argues that an awesome spritual impoverishment has engulfed modernity because of our dimming awareness of that conflict. Thomas Pangle's Introduction places the work within the context of the entire Straussian corpus and focuses especially on Strauss's late Socratic writings as a key to his mature thought. For those already familiar with Strauss, Pangle's essay will provoke thought and debate; for beginning readers of Strauss, it provides a fine introduction. A complete bibliography of Strauss's writings if included. |
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Page vii
... tion that would , so far as possible , replace the statement that the author was prevented from writing . Professor Thomas Pangle's brilliant essay does that as well , I believe , as anything written by any living author could do ...
... tion that would , so far as possible , replace the statement that the author was prevented from writing . Professor Thomas Pangle's brilliant essay does that as well , I believe , as anything written by any living author could do ...
Page 1
... tion Strauss intended to write but had not begun at the time of his death . Naturally , what I say will by no means qualify as a substitute for what Strauss would have said . I must go further : I am certain that I do not yet have a ...
... tion Strauss intended to write but had not begun at the time of his death . Naturally , what I say will by no means qualify as a substitute for what Strauss would have said . I must go further : I am certain that I do not yet have a ...
Page 2
... tion of what it means to engage in philosophizing of this kind . Strauss's New Interpretation of the " Ideas " To carry on Platonic political philosophizing , as Strauss understands it , is not to limit oneself to studying the works of ...
... tion of what it means to engage in philosophizing of this kind . Strauss's New Interpretation of the " Ideas " To carry on Platonic political philosophizing , as Strauss understands it , is not to limit oneself to studying the works of ...
Page 3
... tion that when Socrates speaks of an idea or form , he is referring to that to which the question " What is . . . ? " points ( e.g. , What is Man ? What is Number ? What is Justice ? ) . When we are overcome with perplexity as to what ...
... tion that when Socrates speaks of an idea or form , he is referring to that to which the question " What is . . . ? " points ( e.g. , What is Man ? What is Number ? What is Justice ? ) . When we are overcome with perplexity as to what ...
Page 4
... tion " differ fundamentally , then , from the universals employed and sought by modern scientific method . Among other things , the ideas are not con- ceived as mental constructs - conscious or unconscious . This is the case despite the ...
... tion " differ fundamentally , then , from the universals employed and sought by modern scientific method . Among other things , the ideas are not con- ceived as mental constructs - conscious or unconscious . This is the case despite the ...
Contents
1 | |
Abbreviations | 27 |
1 Philosophy as Rigorous Science and Political Philosophy | 29 |
2 On Platos Apology of Socrates and Crito | 38 |
3 On the Euthymedus | 67 |
4 Preliminary Observations on the Gods in Thucydides Work | 89 |
5 Xenophons Anbasis | 105 |
6 On Natural Law | 137 |
9 Notes on Maimonides Book of Knowledge | 192 |
10 Note on Maimonides Letter on Astrology | 205 |
11 Note on Maimonides Treatise on the Art of Logic | 208 |
12 Niccolo Machiavelli | 210 |
13 Review of CB Macpherson The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism | 229 |
14 Review of J L Talmon The Nature of Jewish History | 232 |
15 Introductory Essay for Hermann Cohen Religion of Reason out of the Sources of Judaism | 233 |
Leo Strauss 18991973 a Bibliography | 249 |
7 Jerusalem and Athens | 147 |
8 Note on the Plan of Nietzches Beyond Good and Evil | 174 |
Index | 259 |
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according accusers Alkibiades Anabasis ancient aphorism Apology of Socrates army Athenians Athens become beginning believe Bible biblical Book Brasidas brothers called chapter character Cheirisophos claim Cohen command concerned creation Crito Cyrus daimonion dialogue difference Dionysodoros Discourses divine doctrine eternal ethics Euthydemos evil fact fundamental God's gods Greeks Ha-Torah hence Hobbes holy human interpretation Jewish Judaism justice kind king kingly art Kleinias knowledge Kriton Ktesippos live Livy Lord Machiavelli Maimonides man's means mentioned Mishneh Torah modern moral nations natural law natural right Nietzsche Nietzsche's Nikias noble oracle particular Persians Plato Political Philosophy possess Prince prophets protreptic Proxenos punishment question refutation regarding Religion of Reason repentance Reprinted Republic sacrifices seems sense Seuthes silent society soldiers soul Spartans speak speech Strauss teaching things thinking thought Thucydides tion Tissaphernes true truth understand understood University virtue whole wisdom wise wish Xenophon Zeus