Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America

Offers a strikingly original interpretation of Leo Strauss, his 'political philosophy', and the connection of both to the American conservative movement.

Paul E. Gottfried (Author)

9781107017245, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 December 2011

194 pages
21.8 x 14.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.39 kg

'[The only book that] specifically offers a right-wing critique of this German-Jewish émigré professor who is so often assumed to be a right-winger himself … Paul Gottfried's book… is sufficiently magnanimous that it may lead readers to a new appreciation for Strauss.' Daniel McCarthy, The University Bookman

This book offers an original interpretation of the achievement of Leo Strauss, stressing how his ideas and followers reshaped the American conservative movement. The conservative movement that reached out to Strauss and his legacy was extremely fluid and lacked a self-confident leadership. Conservative activists and journalists felt a desperate need for academic acceptability, which they thought Strauss and his disciples would furnish. They also became deeply concerned with the problem of 'value relativism', which self-described conservatives thought Strauss had effectively addressed. But until recently, neither Strauss nor his disciples have considered themselves to be 'conservatives'. Contrary to another misconception, Straussians have never wished to convert Americans to ancient political ideals and practices, except in a very selective rhetorical fashion. Strauss and his disciples have been avid champions of American modernity, and 'timeless' values as interpreted by Strauss and his followers often look starkly contemporary.

1. Introduction
2. A significant life
3. Constructing a methodology
4. The method under assault
5. Politics as practice
6. Political theory as political practice
7. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies [JPFM], Political science & theory [JPA], History of ideas [JFCX]