Re: The weird men behind Bush's war

[Jim Farmelant <farmelantj@xxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 04 Apr 2003 16:06:36 -0500 "Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
writes:
>   Shadia Drury, has made a career of writing anti-Straussian exposés:
> The Political Ideas of Leo Strauss (1988), Alexandre Kojeve: the
> Roots
> of Postmodern Politics (1994), Leo Strauss and the American Right
> (1997).
>

Here is what I wrote on the subject of Leo Strauss and
Straussianism for Henwood's LBO-Talk list
back on Nov 11, 2001.

Jim F.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
> On Sun, 11 Nov 2001 14:48:00 -0800 "Luke Weiger" <lweiger@xxxxxxxxx>
writes:
> Justin wrote:
> > You are too flattering to him. In the Straussian precincts of the
> Cmtee on
> > Social Thought, it is presumed that taxi drivers and businessmen
> can't
> think
> > and must be lied to by the Enlightened. I am not making this up.
> What I am
> > saying is literally true.
> >
> > jks
>
> I've read this before, but don't good Straussians disagree as to its
> importance/validity? Did Bloom think likewise?


It is my understanding that this was one of the essential teachings
of Leo Strauss, who as far I know, first expounded this doctrine,
in his essay "The Literary Character of the Guide for the Perplexed"
in which he interpreted Maimonides' treatise *A Guide for the Perplexed*,

which attempted to resolve the conflict between faith and reason, as
being open to both exoteric and esoteric readings. In the exoteric
reading, Maimonides treatise resolved the conflict between reason
and faith through a harmonization of the teachings of the Torah
and those of Aristotle but in the esoteric reading the teachings of
faith are taken to be at best metaphorical representations of the
truths that are uncovered by philosophy. Indeed, according to
this reading of Maimonides, he is taken as viewing the teachings
of religion as being like Plato's Noble Lies. According to Strauss,
Mainmonides deliberately wrote his treatise so that it could
be read either way. The exoteric reading being meant for the
masses, so that their faith would not be unsettled by the
teachings of philosophy, while the esoteric reading was meant
for the enlightened few, who were capable of understanding
the basic falsity of religion without being unsettled by this
revelation.


Strauss maintained that it was not just Maimonides' writings
that were open to an esoteric reading but that such a reading
could also be given to the leading philosophers of antiquity
and the Middle Ages, especially to the writings of Plato
and Aristotle. Thus Strauss developed a special brand
of hermaneutic which he maintained was applicable
not just Maimonides but to other major philosophers
of antiquity, the Middle Ages, and even the modern era.


As Justin correctly notes Strauss' hermaneutucs is
avowedly elitist in nature. The truths of philosophy
being understandable only by an enlightened few,
while the unelightened many must make due with
Platonic noble lies, which their betters will tell them
for their own good. Not surprisingly, Leo Strauss'
political philosophy has had great appeal to
many conservatives. And a number of important
figures in the Reagan and the two Bush administrations
have been avowed Straussians.


Jim F.



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