13 July 2003

More on Leo Strauss' "insidious" impact

Here is one more entry in the long line of recent articles about the influence of Leo Strauss (1899-1973) on particularly American politics: Paul Knox's "The Strauss Effect." For some odd reason the authors of these articles detect some connection between Straussians and the so-called religious right. Knox should read Strauss' essay, "What Is Political Philosophy?" and note how the author casually dismisses what he derisively calls political theology, i.e., reflection on politics based on divine revelation. In the argument between Athens and Jerusalem Strauss definitively sides with Athens.

What Knox did get right is the impact Strauss had on the late George Parkin Grant (1918-1988), Canada's foremost (political) philosopher.

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