Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America: a Critical Appraisal Paul Edward Gottfried Index More Information

Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-01724-5 - Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America: A Critical Appraisal Paul Edward Gottfried Index More information

Index

abstract universals, 88 Anglo-American democracy, 40–41 , 59 accountability, political theorists, 61–62 Anglosphere, 58 aggressive democrats (streitbare anti-modernity, 43–48 Demokraten), 6 anti-semitism, 58–59 . See also Jews Allitt, Patrick, 32 anti-Straussian Right, 91 Altman, William, 95 APSA (American Political Science American Political Science Association Association), 163 (APSA), 163 Arendt, Hannah, 60 , 127 American regime, 39 , 85 Aristotle Anastaplo, George, 23 , 140–41 compatibility of ethical views with Ancients, 81–83 present age, 57 Aristotle correction of Plato’s ideal society, compatibility of ethical views with 88–89 present age, 57 Nicomachean Ethics , 57 correction of Plato’s ideal society, politeia mikta, 140 88–89 quest for political virtue, 50 Nicomachean Ethics , 57 search for political excellence, 133 politeia mikta, 140 teaching of prudence, 50 quest for political virtue, 50 treatment of philosophy, 134 search for political excellence, 133 Arkes, Hadley, 33 teaching of prudence, 50 Arnn, Larry P., 59 treatment of philosophy, 134 Aron, Raymond, 20 Plato Ashcraft, Richard, 75–76 , 162 eternal forms, 49 , 52 , 83 Atlas, James, 164 political philosophy, 48–49 authorial intention, 154–56 Strauss’ interpretation of, 81–83 authoritarian conservatives, 116 treatment of philosophy, 134 Averroes, 12 Socrates ideal city, 49–50 Bateman, Lew, viii Phaedrus dialogue, 81–83 behavioral traits, Straussians, 158 political philosophy, 48–49 Behnegar, Nasser, 46

175

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-01724-5 - Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America: A Critical Appraisal Paul Edward Gottfried Index More information

176 Index

Berensohn, Miriam, 20 versus Judaism, 77–78 Berkowitz, Peter, 17–18 patriotism and, 118–19 Berns, Walter, 117–19 Protestantism, 46–47, 48 Between Philosophy and Religion: Straussian hermeneutic and, 42 Spinoza, the Bible and Modernity view of infl uence on American political (Polka), 77 founding, 93 Bevir, Mark, 153 Chroust, Anton-Hermann, 33 Bloom, Allan, 2 Churchill, Winston The Closing of the American Mind , Anglo-American democracy, 59 24–25 , 113, 129 Strauss’ view of, 35 writing phases of Strauss, 52–53 Claremont Institute, 59–60, 121–22 , Bluhm, Harald, 126, 151–52 162–63 , 172 Bodin, Jean, 10 classical natural rights, 28–29 Bradford, M.E., 89 classical political rationalism, 52 Brenner, Michael, 14 classical rationalist approach to Breschi, Danilo, 166 philosophy, 12 Brook, Yaron, 115–16 The Closing of the American Mind Brown, David, viii (Bloom), 2 , 24–25, 113 , 129 Buckley, William F., 111 , 112 Cohen, Hermann, 12–13, 54 Burke, Edmund, 27 Cold War liberals, 70 Butterfi eld, Herbert, 10 comprehensive critiques, 95–105 The Concept of the Political (Schmitt), Calvin, John, 51 20–21 , 108 Calvinism conceptual criticism, 83–87 capitalism and, 46–47 Congdon, Lee, 116 in early American society, 73 The Conservative Intellectual Movement capitalism in America since 1945 (Nash), 35 Calvinism and, 46–47 conservative isolationists, 116 Protestantism and, 46–47 conservatives. See Right (conservatives) Cassirer, Ernst, 13, 144 counter-hermeneutics Cassirer, Toni, 13 Gadamer, 99–105 Catholicism Quentin Skinner, 96–98 appeal of Strauss’s teachings among Crick, Bernard, 162 Catholic traditionalists, 42 Crisis of a House Divided political theorists, 5 (Jaffa), 113 post WWII conservatives, 32 critics of Strauss, 68–72 Thomistic understanding of natural Cropsey, Joseph, 26 law, 170–71 cultural pessimism, 126–27 Ceaser, James W., 30 Christianity Dannhauser, Werner, 23 Catholicism de Gaulle, Charles, 64 appeal of Strauss’s teachings among deity. See God/deity, concept of Catholic traditionalists, 42 democracy political theorists, 5 Anglo-American, 40–41, 59 post WWII conservatives, 32 distinction between liberalism and, Thomistic understanding of natural 126–27 law, 170–71 liberal, 27 , 106–14 classical rationalism and, 137 relation to natural rights, 128 confl icting views of infl uence on Desch, Michael, 116 American political founding, 93–95 despotic regime, 43

Index 177

Die Religionskritik Spinozas als German nihilism, 58–59 Grundlage seiner Bibelwissenschft distinction between German (Strauss), 16 conservative revolutionaries and, Dilthey, Wilhelm, 101 65 discrimination. See prejudice German, 65 Drury, Shadia, 2–3, 24 Gingrich, Newt, 123 God/deity, concept of early life, 11–37 John Locke, 76 American success story, 25–31 Judaism, 17 Jew in exile, 11–25 Spinoza, 18, 76–77 postwar conservative, 31–37 Gordon, David, vii, 83–86 relation between Strauss’s hermeneutics Gordon, Peter E., 31 and, 151 Greeks Eidelberg, Paul, 140 Jewish tradition as alternative to Greek epigones, 7 rationality, 17 esoteric readings, 52–55 view of patriotism, 118 esoteric tradition, 40 Guide for the Perplexed (Maimonides), Essays on the Scientifi c Studies of Politics 54–55 (Strauss), 106–07 Gunnell, John, vii, 149–50 eternal forms, 49, 52, 83 Gurion, David Ben, 19 ethic of responsibility, 87 Gymnasium Philippinum, 11 ethical views, Ancients, 57 ethical virtues, 49 Halbassimilanten, 19–20 Ethics (Polka), 76–77 Havers, Grant, vii, viii exoteric readings, 52–55 appeal of Strauss’s teachings among Catholic traditionalists, 42 facism origins of universality, 79 Nietzsche and, 145 Hegel, 45 treating Straussians as quasi-fascists, Heidegger, Martin, 27, 142 69–70 comparisons between Cassirer facticity, 103 and, 144 factual critiques, 72–81 comparisons between Weber and, fact/value dichotomy, 45–48 143–44 Ludwig von Mises, 85–86 facticity, 103 The Morals of History (Todorov), political virtues, 50 86–87 hermeneutic. See also methodology Filmer, Robert, 75 foreshortening, 99 foreshortening hermeneutic, 99 Straussian Fortin, Ernest, 5 Christianity and, 42 founders, 3–4 relation between early life and, 151 Frachon, Alain, 127 Hermeneutics as Politics (Rosen), 66–67 Franco, Francisco, 116 Hillsdale College in Michigan, 59–60 French Revolution, 44 historical relativism, 42–43, 84 Fukuyama, Francis, 147–48 historicism, 44 Marxism and, 45 Gadamer, Hans-Georg, 20, 95–105 , 153 role in German catastrophe, 157–58 genealogical connection Strauss’ views as compared with continuity between master and Löwith’s views, 105 epigones, 7 history, intellectual, 139 political philosophy, 131–41 The History of Political Philosophy , 26

178 Index

Hobbes project, 25–26 Kalb, James, 89 Hoeveler, David J., 8 Kelsen, Hans, 43 Husserl, Edmund, 142 Kendall, Willmoore, 32–33 , 42 The Idea of Usury: From Tribal Kennedy, Brian T., 172 Brotherhood to Universal Kennedy, John F., 119–20 Otherhood (Nelson), 47 Kesler, Charles, 34, 60 Keyes, Allan, 33–34 ideal city Keynes, John Maynard, 60 ethical virtues, 49 Kirk, Russell, 89, 111 social organization, 49 Klein, Jacob, 19 , 99 illiberal liberals, 6 Kojève, Alexandre, 20 illocutionary political rhetoric, 59 Koyré, Alexandre, 20 impenetrable prejudices, Straussian, Kristol, Irving, 123–25 66–67 improvised right, 115–22 Lampert, Lawrence, 6 In Defense of Liberal Democracy Lawler, Peter Augustine, 171 (Berns), 117 Left (liberalism). See liberalism (Left) intellectual Right, 71–72 Leo Strauss and Nietzsche (Lampert), 6 Interpretation , 71 Leo Strauss and the Politics of American interpretive critiques, 72–81 Empire (Norton), vii The Irony of Manifest Destiny (Pfaff), Leo Strauss and the Politics of Exile 122–23 (Sheppard), 14–15 irrelevant criticisms, 38–43 Leo Strauss e la Destra Americana isolationists, conservative, 116 (Paraboschi), 3 Israel Lerner, Ralph, 23 Claremont Institute support of, 122 liberal democracy, 27, 40–41 , 106–14 Strauss’ support of, 22–23, 69–70 liberal illiberalism, 116–17 liberalism (Left) Jabotinsky, Ze’ev, 20 critical commentators, 2–3 Jacobi, Friedrich, 13 discrimination against Jews and, Jaffa, Harry V., 59–60, 113 120–21 , 128 Jewish Philosophy and the Crisis of distinction between democracy and, Modernity (Zank), 20 126–27 Jews. See also Judaism German politics, 13–15 discrimination, liberalism and, going beyond horizons of, 21 120–21, 128 secret writing, 55 German, integrated identity for, 12–13 Liberalism Ancient and Modern (Strauss), Jewish moral spine, 24 62, 64–65, 88 Jewish tradition as alternative to Greek liberals rationality, 17 Cold War, 70 Strauss as exile, 11–25 interventionists, 114–15 Strauss’ preocupation with Jewish Lincoln, Abraham, 90–91 identity, 51 Lippmann, Walter, 27 journalistic praise of Straussians, 162 Locke, John, 27 Judaism American regime, 39 versus Christianity, 77–78 God/deity, concept of, 76 God/deity, concept of, 17 Locke, Robert, 34 neo-Orthodox, 15–16 logistikon, 48–49 role in survival of Jewish people, 17 Lord, Carnes, 126

Index 179

Löwith, Karl Mises, Ludwig von, 35 historicism, 105 modernity Strauss’ comments to, 14 Anglo-American liberal democracy, Ludwig Von Mises Institute, 66 40–41 Anglosphere, 58 Machiavelli, Niccolo, 43 Brayton Polka’s view of, 77 Machiavelli’s Virtue (Mansfi eld), 156 contrasting types of, 57–61 MacIntyre, Alasdair, 155 good versus bad, 56–57 Mahoney, Daniel J., 5, 124–25 lowering of moral horizon, 137–38 Maimonides, 12, 54–55 Walgreen Lectures, 27–29 Making Patriots (Berns), 117 Montesquieu, 138 Manent, Pierre, 5, 149 moral relativism Mann, Thomas, 117 John Maynard Keynes, 60 Mansfi eld, Harvey, 156, 161–62, 170 liberal democracy and, 109–10 Marxism, 139 moral lessons versus historical as compared to Strauss’ interpretive contexts, 42–43 method, 36 moral universalism, 78 historicism and, 45 morality McAllister, Ted, vii–viii, 7 indifference to in social sciences, 43–44 McCormick, John, 70–71 scientifi c methodologies and, 131–32 McDonald, Forrest, 74–75 muthologia, 51–52 McIntyre, Kenneth, vii, viii , 154–55 The Myth of American Individualism Meier, Heinrich, 21 (Shain), 73–74 Meinecke, Friedrich, 157–58 methodology Nash, George H., 30 , 35 under assault, 68–105 National Review , 34 ancients, 81–83 Natural Right and History , 26–27 conceptual criticism, 83–87 natural rights, 28–30 critics, 68–72 American Republic, 90–91 factual and interpretive critiques, American revolutionaries, 73 72–81 classical, 28–29 ongoing debate, 92–95 relation to democracy, 128 from the Right, 88–92 Nelson, Benjamin, 47 Skinner and Gadamer and their Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an comprehensive critiques, 95–105 Idea (Thompson and Brook), constructing, 38–67 115–16 anti-modernity, 43–48 neoconservatives, 122–30 exoteric and esoteric readings, compared to liberal interventionists, 52–55 114–15 good versus bad modernity, 56–57 connection to Nazis, 122–23 modern polarities, 57–61 symbiotic relation with Straussians, philosophy and theology, 50–52 8–9 political philosophy as search for neo-Kantian philosophers, 12–13 ultimate truth, 48–50 neo-Orthodox Judaism, 15–16 relevant and irrelevant criticisms, Nichols, Mary P., 57 38–43 Nicomachem Ethics (Aristotle), 57 Meyer, Frank, 111 Nietzsche, Friedrich, 27 militarism, 116–17 facism and, 145 Minowitz, Peter, vii, 1 , 3, 124 , 149 , 160 Strauss’ comments to Karl Löwith, 14

180 Index

nihilism political theory as, 131–48 fact-value dichotomy and, 46 genealogy of, 131–41 German, 58–59 Strauss, 141–48 origin of term, 13 as search for ultimate truth, 48–50 Norton, Ann, vii , 11 , 138 political practice Novak, Michael, 89–90 political theory to, 106–30 defending liberal democracy, 106–14 Oakeshott, Michael, 154 improvised right, 115–22 oligarchy, 57 neoconservatives, 122–30 Orwin, Clifford, 113–14 political rationalism, 29 Owens, Mackubin T., 172 political rhetoric, illocutionary, 59 political science, 106–08 Pangle, Thomas L., 39, 56 political Straussians, 151 The Rebirth of Political Rationalism , political theorists 109–10 accountability, 61–62 on regressing to pre-modern political Catholics, 5 culture, 60 political theory Spirit of Modern Republicanism , 56 as political philosophy, 131–48 view of infl uence of Christianity on genealogy of, 131–41 American political founding, 93 Strauss and his philosophical Paraboschi, Germana, 3 moments, 141–48 past thinkers, Strauss’ approach to, 10 to political practice, 106–30 patriotism, 117–18 defending liberal democracy, 106–14 Persecution and the Art of Writing improvised right, 115–22 (Strauss), 55 neoconservatives, 122–30 personal peeve, 103 political thought, throughout history, persuasion, 132 40–41 pessimism, cultural, 126–27 political Zionism, 121 Pfaff, William, 34, 122–23 Strauss’ defense of, 23 Phaedrus dialogue, 81–83 Politics (Aristotle), 133 Philip of Hesse, 11 Politics and Hermeneutics (Rosen), 6 philosopher, 51 Politics and Nichomachean Ethics philosophy, theology and, 50–52 (Nichols), 57 physical sciences, 157 Polka, Brayton, 73, 76–78 Pisapia, Michael C., 163 positivism, 30, 32 , 44, 131–32 Plato postwar conservative, Strauss as, 31–37 eternal forms, 49, 52 , 83 pragmata, 143 political philosophy, 48–49 prejudice Strauss’ interpretation of, 81–83 discrimination treatment of philosophy, 134 cultural, 103 Plato’s Philosophers: The Coherence of against Jews, 120–21 , 128 the Dialogues (Zuckert), 41 Gadamer’s comments on, 102–04 Pocock, J.G. A., 56, 162 impenetrable, 66–67 Podhoretz, Norman, 169 pre-Nazi Germany, 58 Poede, George, 86 prophet, 51 politeia mikta (Aristotle), 140 Protestantism, 48 political nationalism, 17 American founding and, 73–74 role in future of Jewish people, 17 Calvinism political philosophy, 39 capitalism and, 46–47 defi ned, 9 in early American society, 73

Index 181

capitalism and, 46–47 authoritarian, 116 Puha, Elena, 86 Catholic, 32 conceptual critique of Straussian quasi-fascists, treating Straussians as, methodology, 88–92 69–70 critical commentators, 3–4 improvised, 115–22 Rahe, Paul, 56 intellectual, 71–72 Randall, John Herman, 52 isolationists, 116 rationalism neoconservatives, 122–30 Christianity and, 137 compared to liberal interventionists, political, 52 114–15 tracing origins, 52 connection to Nazis, 122–23 The Rebirth of Political Rationalism symbiotic relation with Straussians, (Pangle), 109–10 8–9 regimes, inventing, 3–4 ongoing debate on Strauss, 92–95 relativism Zionist, 20 The Closing of the American Mind , Rosen, Stanley, 6–7 , 66–67 24–25 Rosenzweig, Franz, 15–16 historical, 84 Rothbard, Murray N., 35–36, 111 moral Ryn, Claes, 89 John Maynard Keynes, 60 liberal democracy and, 109–10 Salazar, Antonio, 116 relevant criticisms, 38–43 Schaefer, David Lewis, 60 Religion and the Rise of Capitalism Schall, James V., 28 (Tawney), 46–47 Schmitt, Carl, 14 religious faith. See also Christianity anti-American Europeanist, 152–53 Catholics The Concept of the Political , appeal of Strauss’s teachings among 20–21 , 108 Catholic traditionalists, 42 criticism of universal state, 63–64 political theorists, 5 Scholem, Gershom, 19–20 post WWII conservatives, 32 scientifi c methodologies, 131–32 Thomistic understanding of natural The Search for Historical Meaning law, 170–71 (Gottfried), 3 , 92 diminished role in American regime, 39 secret writing, 53 Judaism liberalism, 55 versus Christianity, 77–78 problem with Strauss’s interpretations neo-Orthodox, 15–16 of, 81–82 role in survival of Jewish people, 17 Shain, Barry Allan, vii, 73–74, 89, versus philosophy, 50–52 93–95 Protestantism, 48 Sheppard, Eugene R., 14–15 American founding and, 73–74 Skinner, Quentin, 138–39 Calvinism, 46–47 , 48 comprehensive critiques, 95–105 capitalism and, 46–47 illocutionary political rhetoric, 59 representative Straussian texts, 3 , 4–5 method for reading political texts, Republics: Ancient and Modern 96–98 (Rahe), 56 Smith, Steven, 20–22 Revolt against Modernity (McAllister), 7 social organization, ideal city, 49 Rickert, Heinrich, 157 social sciences Right (conservatives) indifference to moral truth in, 43–44 anti-Straussian, 91 versus physical sciences, 157

182 Index

Socrates Thomas, Clarence, 123–24 ideal city, 49–50 Thompson, C. Bradley, 115–16 Phaedrus dialogue, 81–83 Todorov, Tzvetan, 79 political philosophy, 48–49 Toury, Jacob, 14 Spinoza tradition Christianity versus Judaism, 77–78 contrasting liberal and conservative concept of God, 18, 76–77 views of, 63 God/deity, concept of, 18, 76–77 Straussians and, 154 Gospels versus Mosaic code, 18 Treaty of Versailles, 60, 65 Strauss’ view of Cohen’s criticism of, 54 The Truth about Leo Strauss , (Zuckert), Theologico-Political Treatise , 52–54 1–2 Spirit of Modern Republicanism (Pangle), 56 universalism Stanlis, Peter, 89 contrasting liberal and conservative Stern, Fritz, 125–26 views of, 63–65 Storing, Herbert J., 106 moral, 78 Strauss, as political philosopher, 141–48 University of Marburg, 11 Strauss, Hugo, 11 Straussians Vernet, Daniel, 127 behavioral traits, 158 virtues, ethical, 49, 131–32 hermeneutic Voegelin, Eric, 127, 135–36 Christianity and, 42 von Mises, Ludwig, 85–86 relation between early life and, 151 Wahrheit und Methode (Gadamer), impenetrable prejudices, 66–67 100–01 journalistic praise of, 162 Walgreen Lectures, 26, 27–29 political versus genuine, 151 Walt, Steven M., 114–15 symbiotic relation with Weber, Max, 39 neoconservatives, 8–9 comparisons between Heidegger and, treating as quasi-fascists, 69–70 143–44 Straussophobia (Minowitz), 1, 124 fact/value dichotomy, 46, 85–87 streitbare Demokraten (aggressive social sciences versus physical democrats), 6 sciences, 157 student movement (1960s), 165–66 Weekly Standard (Berkowitz), 17–18 Weimar Republic, 58 Taft, Robert, 116 Whig theory of history (Butterfi eld), 10 Tarcov, Nathan, 160 Wilson, Woodrow, 113 Tawney, R.H., 46–47 Wolfe, Alan, 69 Theologico-Political Treatise (Spinoza), Wolfowitz, Paul, 114 52–54 , 76–77 theology, 39–40. See also Christianity ; Xenos, Nick, 69 religious faith God/deity, concept of Zank, Michael, 20 , 23 John Locke, 76 Zionism Judaism, 17 political, 23, 121 Spinoza, 18, 76–77 Strauss’ conversion to, 16 philosophy and, 50–52 Zionist Right, 20 Plato’s views about, 42 Zuckert, Catherine H., 1–2 , 41 Socrates’s views about, 81–83 Zuckert, Michael, 1–2, 39