Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1997 Nature and the Divine: Classical Greek Philosophy and the Political in the Thought of Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin. Todd Eric Myers Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Myers, Todd Eric, "Nature and the Divine: Classical Greek Philosophy and the Political in the Thought of Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin." (1997). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6398. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6398 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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NATURE AND THE DIVINE: CLASSICAL GREEK PHILOSOPHY AND THE POLITICAL IN THE THOUGHT OF LEO STRAUSS AND ERIC VOEGELIN A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Political Science by Todd Eric Myers B.A., Eureka College, 1988 M.P.A., Louisiana State University, 1992 May 1997 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9735993 UMI Microform 9735993 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To My Family ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. And behold Yahew was passing by. And a great and mighty wind was rending the mountain and shattering the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake After the earthquake a fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire a sound of gentle stillness. Now as soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” I Kings 19:11-13 And thus Glaucon, a tale was saved and not lost; and it could save us, if we were persuaded by it, and we shall make a good crossing of the river of Lethe and not defile our soul. But if we are persuaded by me, holding that the soul is immortal and capable of bearing all evils and goods, we shall always keep to the upper road and practice justice with prudence in every way so that we shall be friends to ourselves and the gods, both while we remain here and when we reap the rewards for it like victors who go about gathering prizes. And so here and in the thousand year journey that we have described we shall fare well. Plato’s Republic 621c Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing these acknowledgments is a task of great joy. A seven year apprenticeship in the spiritual and political traditions of humankind is over and I may now attempt to find a place of service within our community. It is now my honor to remember those who have made this moment possible. I should of course begin at the beginning and acknowledge the immeasurable contribution of my parents to my success. They have not only magnanimously born the financial burden of having a scholar in the family but have proven to be my best friends when I have needed them the most. Their noble example of good citizenship, love of family and benevolence has made it possible for me to wrestle with theoretical problems without losing a sense of the humane. No amount of thanks is sufficient to balance this rich heritage. I must also thank my sister Rochelle. Her talent with words and art have been an inspiration for me to eagerly question the common and the ordinary and seek the extraordinary. My inclination to see the world in a philosophic way most certainly guided itself by the light of her aesthetic spirit. A brother could not wish for a better sister. The strong foundations I received from my family were strengthened by the able guidance of a long line of teachers and mentors. Lisa Dreussi and Paul Koskovich imparted to an adolescent boy the importance of inquiry, friendship, tolerance and love. Woody Goldberg and Luther Mook guided a young man through the realities of the world of realpolitik while adhering to the moral compasses of Judaism and Christian- iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Confucianism, respectively. Phil Palin and Gary Gammon were the first persons to encourage me to seek a career in the realm of ideas and through the light of their moral imaginations ignited the spark of my own moral imagination that would enable me to begin to follow the eternal path of thought to the community of truth. My experience at Louisiana State University has been equally rich in positive experiences. The excellence of my colleagues has made my educational experience comparable to the best programs in political theory in the country. Our professors have been equal to the task of engaging the energies of a talented cohort. This brings me to the task of thanking those who have been closest to the immediate task of aiding me in my effort to enter the community of scholars. Cecil Eubanks deserves mention because of his ability to balance the demands of a philosopher of history and a philosopher of texts. Having decided upon a dissertation comparing Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin, I was confronted with the mixed blessing of having students from both traditions on my dissertation committee. Ellis Sandoz, who received his doctorate from Voegelin at the University of Munich and is my major professor, suggested I narrow the subject of my dissertation by including more material. I now understand his goal but at the time I felt generally overwhelmed by the seemingly impossible task of expanding my investigation beyond the two epic philosophies with which I was already wrestling. I then went to seek Jim Stoner’s advice. Having studied under Harvey Mansfield and in the textual tradition of Leo Strauss, Jim suggested I narrow my study by focusing on perhaps two texts. Having not acquired a sufficient tolerance for ambiguity, this thoughtful suggestion seemed to place me in an v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. unreconcilable tension between epic history and textual analysis. When I approached Cecil for his input I was on the verge of a mental meltdown. Fortunately, Cecil’s insight reconciled the apparently irreconcilable positions of Ellis and Jim and enabled me to begin my project. I am indebted to Cecil Eubanks for this lesson of compromise and diplomacy as well as his excellent example as both a teacher and a scholar. Jim Stoner deserves special thanks for being such a helpful guide in illuminating the intricacies of the thought o f Leo Strauss. I had little understanding of Strauss when I began this project and whatever understanding I now have is due to the amount of valuable time Jim would spend in engaging my questions in their infinite variations. My ability to read Strauss’s dense and rich texts is largely dependent upon these discussions. Jim’s patience and goodwill is especially appreciated given that the environment of formal academia does not reward this unpublished work. Needless to say, the Socratic way has always been its own reward. I would not have made it to the point of acknowledgments without the help and support of my major professor, Ellis Sandoz. He has fought and is fighting the fight for admissions, funding and employment for students interested in issues of the soul.