Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Leo Strauss was born on September 20, 1899, in Kirchhain, Germany. His full name is Leo Samuel Strauss.
Birth and Death Dates
Born: September 20, 1899
Died: October 18, 1973 (age 74)
Nationality and Profession(s)
Strauss was a German-American philosopher who held American citizenship from 1952. He was primarily known for his work as a political philosopher.
Early Life and Background
Leo Strauss was born to Jewish parents in a small town near Frankfurt, Germany. His family moved to Berlin when he was young, where he developed an interest in philosophy at a early age. Strauss studied philosophy at the University of Marburg under the tutelage of the renowned philosopher Hans Cornelius.
Major Accomplishments
Strauss is widely recognized for his contributions to Western philosophy and political thought. He made significant efforts to revive interest in classical texts, particularly those written by ancient Greeks and Romans. His work on Aristotelian philosophy has been especially influential in shaping contemporary debates about justice and the good life.
Some of Strauss's notable achievements include:
Reconstructing Classical Thought: Strauss focused on interpreting the works of premodern thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Maimonides to better understand Western civilization.
Critique of Modernity: Through his analysis of Enlightenment thinking and the rise of positivism, Strauss critiqued the notion that human knowledge can be reduced to scientific observation.
Notable Works or Actions
Strauss wrote many influential books throughout his career. Some notable titles include:
_The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: Its Basis and Genesis_ (1936)
_Natural Right and History_ (1953)
He also taught at various universities, including the University of Chicago, where he established a renowned school of thought in political philosophy.
Impact and Legacy
Leo Strauss's work continues to shape contemporary debates on politics, ethics, and the human condition. His ideas have influenced prominent thinkers across disciplines, from philosophers like Allan Bloom and Walter Berns to statesmen such as Henry Kissinger.
Strauss's emphasis on the importance of classical texts in understanding Western civilization has inspired numerous scholarly pursuits and educational institutions.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Leo Strauss is widely quoted for his profound insights into human nature, politics, and the role of philosophy in society. His critiques of modernity and Enlightenment thought have had a lasting impact on contemporary intellectual debates.
Many readers find his quotes inspiring because they encourage reflection on the fundamental questions that underlie all human pursuits: What does it mean to be human? How do we achieve justice and happiness?
Strauss's quotes also remind us of the importance of engaging with classical texts, for they can provide timeless wisdom that helps us navigate today's complex challenges.
Quotes by Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss's insights on:
Passionately yes, passionately no” is the worst of all tastes. And now after one has overcome that, after one has followed this natural inclination, one must learn to put some art into one’s feelings and rather make an experiment with the artificial as distinguished from and opposed to the natural. That is what the true artists of life do. They do not follow the natural impulses, but experiment with the artificial.
The proper work of a writing is truly to talk, or to reveal the truth, to some while leading others to salutary opinions; the proper work of a writing is to arouse to thinking those who are by nature fit for it; the good writing achieves its end if the reader considers carefully the ‘logographic necessity’ of every part, however small or seemingly insignificant, of the writing.
The Prussian state is, for Hegel, the model most akin to the rational state because it represents, thanks both to the Protestant religion and the authority of the monarchy, a synthesis between the revolutionary exigencies of principles and the traditional exigencies of organization.
Only a great fool would call the new political science diabolic: it has no attributes peculiar to fallen angels. It is not even Machiavellian, for Machiavelli’s teaching was graceful, subtle, and colorful. Nor is it Neronian. Nevertheless one may say of it that it fiddles while Rome burns. It is excused by two facts: it does not know that it fiddles, and it does not know that Rome burns.
The present Anglo-German war is then of symbolic significance. In defending modern civilisation against German nihilism, the English are defending the eternal principles of civilisation.
Nietzsche was not an Existentialist. Existentialism emerged out of the conflict between Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, the Danish religious writer.
God’s reasons for communicating with man must be subsumed under his reason for communicating to him his account of his creation of the world – and man.
