Leo Strauss on Jerusalem and Athens

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Leo Strauss on Jerusalem and AthensStanley Gilbert Weber

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LEO STRAUSS .

ON JERUSALEM AN D ATHENS

S TA N L E Y G I L B E RT WEBER 3 A M A .

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A Thcsis

Submlttcd to thc School of Grad l.ntc Studics

in nrt i l Fulfl lmcnt of thc Rcqui rcmcnts

Doctor of Philosophy

,McMastcr Univcrsi ty

Septcmber 97 5

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I ST NLEY GIL ERT W R 97



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LEO STR USS

ON J E R U S L E M N D T H E N S



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(1975)OCTOR .OF PlIILOSOi IIY

(Rel igious c i e n c e ~

TITLE:

AUTHOR: Stanley Gilber t Webcr ,

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B, A. (Washington Univc rsity)

Rabbinical rdina t ion

(Rabbi Chaim Berl in Rf\bbinical

Seminary) ,

M. A. (McMaster University)

S U P R V S O R ~ Pro fe s so r

G.P

Grant

NUMBER OF PAGES: 5Z7

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Strauss

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Thill thesis a;ttempts t nudeat .e t he thought of Leo. .. \

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, , o n t h e r e l a t i o r i o ( ~ ~ r j l / 3 a l e m an Athens: The specific focus and

. I l t > l c \ a t i i t ~ ~ e s t :of this thesis in L o Strauss s i n v e - s ~ i g a t i o r i s of

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Jerusalem,and Ath :lns ill the relat ion of judaism and philosophy.

The es sen ti al a ss er ti on o f S t r a u s s : p o s i t i o n is the funda-,

mental andi r r e c o n c i l ~ b l e

oppos it ion be t ee,n Jerusalem and ,Athens.

_ ~ T : ~ f u n d a m e n t a l o p ~ o s i t i o n is d i s c e r ~ e d ~ \ S t r a ~ . ~ s chiefly in the _

classical c o m : e p t i } n - o i . p h i J , s l s ~ p h y and the ~ t a P h Y S i C S of tl).e

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Bible. and in th e contrast of ph ilosophic m o r a l } ~ Y a n d - t h . c . _ m o r a l i t y ,

of th e B ib le .

Although evidencing change development . S t r a u s s s

thought remains cen tra lly concerned with das th eologisch-

poli t ische Problem. I I His ear ly work on Maimonides and his Islamic

predecessors , ~ s o p h i und Gesetz , exhibits h is c on ce rn with

the relat ion of polit ical philosophy and theology, exoter icism. th e

relat ion of the Law and the natural law. the q u a r r e l between n c ~ e n t s

and m o e ~ n s the distorting effect of reading pre-modern w r i t e r s

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through mode rn l en se s and the i nadequacy o f modern philosophies

of Juda i sm. , The extent and cha r ade r of Strauss s development ,

as well as the abiding u ~ t y of h is v is io n, is i nd ic at ed in viewing

his earl ier understanding in light ofi i is own la ter correc t ions .

The thesis concludes with Strauss s t hemati c e labora t ion of .

the insufficiency generally of Enlightenment and post -Enl ightenment

accommodations of J e r ~ s a l e m and of modern Jewish movements ,

in part icular .

..What is important to thi t h ~ s i s is the centra l fact .o f

Strauss ~ e . l O n g ~ t t n t o n to Jerusa lem and Athens, to d as

t h e O l O g i S C h ~ S che P r ~ b ~ e m to Judaism and philosophy.

Attention is the essence of th e th ird alternative to unreasoned

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belief and unreasoned. unbelief.

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\ \ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS _

\ ~ \ \ This thesis ~ s taken long. and over its long course I have t aken

I much from many most. from those ,closest to m e ~ my wife Deborah and

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\mych il dr en : S a ra•. Kalman. Pe r i Linda. Y ael Tamara and David Mordechai .\ . . . .

,Deborah typed my way through graduate school; i t was she who not only,

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t J e d ev ry le t ter of this th es is a t every s tage ., in end. it w as she,w ho. . .

got iYdo·ne. susta:ining an immense e ff or t in tJ:te face of ~ d v e r s e c o n ~ i t i o r i s. .The better part of my higher ~ d u c t i o n must he credited, to my super- ,

visor . Dr. GeorgeP . Gra:nt. who st imulated and guided my endeavours

I .

educated i n ~ h i g h e r , : th in gs : F or the past three years , I , h a v ~ enjoyed/ .

/ the privilege and opportunity of being a teaching member of th e Department . /

for which I thank him. I thank him for his l ong- su ff er ing endurance o f the

work of supervision of the exceedingly/ long work of this thesis . I am

gr ateful for his seeing i t through to completion and for seeing to it that

i t was completed.

Dr. A. Eugene ~ o m b s my teacher . colleague. and cla,ssroom

col laborator is a friend and, as such, his contribution to the work of thisG

thesis . at ever y s tage . was substantial .

gratefully acknowledge the gen er ou s a s si st an ce o f Canad a c junc i l

for the four years awarded me th e c : , n a d ~ n c i l Doctoral Fell,Owshi p ......

I pray I may look forward to giving.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

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. Abstrac t : . • ' ,' 0 ••••••••••• : •• · .. - A bbreviat io ns ..... ..... 00 ••••••• ••• •• • _••• • • •. . '-

C h ~ p t r

. 1. INTRODUC TION< , ,., .

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2.

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6.

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8.

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10.

11.12.

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The Originali ty of this Thesis . . 0 0 , ,

The In troduc ti on o f Leo Strauss by Le? Strauss:

The Jew in tne Grip of the Contempo'rary

Theologico-Polit ical Predicament . .

The J ew i sh P robl em ......•.

Liberal ism, Conservat ism and the Jewish

-Pro >.lem , . . 0 • 0 : ••• • •••••• 0 • • 0 ••••• 0 ••••

On the C onservat ism of Herzl and Poli th :a l

Zionism .

Liberalism: Less Than a Perfect Solution But

the Best Viable - - According to 'Classical

Conservatism, Jud aism, and Zionism,

RespectiYely... : 0 •••••••••• 0 0 • 0 ••• 0 •• ••••

The J ew is h P rob lem and the P rees tab lished

Harmony Between Value,.free Science and

Liberal Values 0 •••••••••• 0 0 • 0 ••

Strauss the Conservative and the Libera l

J . h 0 L d~ ~ pIniOn ea er ..... 0 • 0 •• •••••••••

The Nearness 0< the Phil is t ines . . 0 0 •• 0 •• 0 •••

In What Sense or To What Ext en t I s Judaism

One of th e'R oots o f Liberalism? Are Jews

Compelled by Their Heri tage, . ; To BeLOb I?era :. . 0 _ •••••• •••••••

O L . . . : .....n IVes . . 0 0 •••••••••••••••••• 0 • 0 •• \•••••

Socrates and Thucydides: Athenian_s •

Start ing From What Jas Hitting l ' l im,Direc yJerusalemite or Athenian

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Page

iii

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2

9

15

20

23

25

29

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43

48

56

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69

77

81

84

94

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108

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15. An Example of Disinclination To Take

Strauss Se ri ous ly As a Serious Scholar of

J e r u ~ a l e m : Der herme.neutische Weg

von

Leo Strauss .

1 . Strauss 's Rediscovery of Exote r ic ism. .

17 . Definitions Exoteric . and E ~ o t e h . . .

18. Str.auss s Redlscovery of x o t e n c l s m ~ he

Pr ime Target of His Critics; .

19. Exoteric ism and The Twin Sisters

Posit ivism and Histor ic ism .

2Q. Reading Old .Books anc\ Historicism and

.Posi t ivism , .

21. The Need for Histor ical Studies .

22. Conclusibn: The Question of Strauss ,S

Nonorthodoxy ; / , .23. Plan of the Chapters Following .

II. U :0 STRAUSS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL OPPOSITION

OF JERUSALEM AND A TH EN S. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . 13.----- .

Section One

Introduction ·. •·L · . . : .\,.

Strauss and Christ ian Theology . . .

Apparent Affin it ies .

Some Apparent Resemblances of Jerusalem

and Athens and Some Significant Differences·

Nature - - The Root Issue Between Athens

and ·Jerusalem .

GenesIs As Read By Strauss: The Bible s

Re ject ion o f Athens . .

Trust and Hope in God and Tears in Je rusa lem.

The Ql\est for Knowledge and Laughter in

Athens: .

More R ~ g a r d i n g Respective Views of The

. Beginnings .

On Plato on Beginnings : .

On th e B ib le On th e A rts .

More than Apparent A f f i n i t i ~ s , . nticipations : : ..

137

138

147

149

154

170

179

186

189

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196202 /

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225

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Section Two,

13. \ s p e c ~ s of the Conco;orn ,with Just ice in

, )A then s a nd Jerusalem Respectively:

Some Significant Differences ; •....

The Fusion of Nature and Law t

On Strauss s Ea r l y Leaning . . , . . . , , , . , , ...

The natural law , , , , . . , , . , . , :, I

The natural law and the Law, , ... , , . , . . , . . ,

T he n at ur al law Lacks Categoric .• 11 Impera t ives , .....•........ : , . . ,. .

Section Three

19. Am I My Brother s Keeper? - - The Answers

Respect ively of the Philosopher . the Greek

Gentleman,and the Pious Adhe rent o f Biblical, Tradi t ion, . ..•......... , , . , . ..... , ..... , •

20, The Phi losopher - - a benefactor only

accidentally , , , . ,

/ 21. The Two Ways of Life and Bibli9al Piety ,

22. The P io us o f Jerusalem , . , . , , , . .

23 . Biblical Pie ty Viewed from the Heights

Ascended by the Philosopher. , , , . . ,

24. Patr is and Pol i te ia and Jew, , , .

25. , Love of Neighbor - - How Difficult It i s . , . .

26. Strauss s R es ta tement on, Xenophon s Hiero :

Love and the Philosopher . ., , , .

27. The Contras t a nd Affi nit y w it h Bibli cal Teaching

28 . The Greek Ruler and the Jewish King ..... , ...

29. Aris to t le s Gentleman Contras ted to Maimonides

Jewish Wise Map and P ious Man .,

30 . Conclus;,on, . . , . , : . , , , : . , . .

(244\ . \247

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271

277

296

305

310

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323

325

329

I l l LEO STRAUSS S PHILOSOPHIE UND GESETZ

ON,PLATONIC POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND

MAIMONIDES - - THE ARISTOTELIZING CLASSIC

\ RATIONALIST IN JUDAISM , , , . . . . 332

1. Introduco.;n , , . . , . . ,.. 333

2. Pol i t ical Philosophy Its Two Significations

and Strauss s Chapter Headings .Die gesetzl iche

Begrundung der Philos ophie and D ie ph ilosoph ische

Begriindung des Gesetzes ............• ; . . : . . 335

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419

399

343

358

348

355

340

337

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3. ,:,The Meanings of Pol i t ica l Philosophy .\ . . , ,

4· Difference Betwe en Pl<lto and Aris tot le• - I

Not a Central Theme But Not I gnoreri in

Strau s s s Wo·rk•.......... , . , .... . , . . ...• .

5. The Contrast Between Chris t ian. / S ; : h o I a 9 ~ m and Ma imonide s: : . : . . , .

. 6. Abravanel s -Anti_Political Poli t fcal

. Thought..... , ... , . . . , • ,,: , . . , . . . .•.. , . , ,

7. Gersonides: A True r Arist.ote.1ian. . , . . , ; . , . •

8, Aspects of the Impa ct of Jerusalem on

. Platonism . • . , •• , , , . ; • • • . .

9. W as hat der Jude m it Platon oder .. \

Aris tote les zu/schaffen ? , ..... . . , . . . . . • . . . 372

10. ' , . . aU th e d if fe re nc e in the world .• : ...• 387

11 . Die gesetzl iche Begrundung d i r phi losophie

and the Extreme Rationalists Averroes andGer son i d eW , .....• , .

12 •. Conclusion: The Three Major Moments in the

' . Deve lopmen t o f Strauss 's Understanding of

Maimonides .•......... , :; .

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LEO STRAUSS ON MODERN ENUGHTENMENT

AND BIBLICAL TRADITION

1. Introduction , :....... 429

2. The. Theologico-Polit ical Garden. . . . . . . . . . . . 430

3. Strauss 5 Theological Focus on Modernity

Follows (the More Poli t ical Focus Not

Treated Here) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436

4. The Pecu l i ar Ep icurean ism of Modernity. . . . . 4}9

5. The Int roduc ti on to Philosophie und Gese tz . . . 470

Appendix A , . . , . . 517

Bibliography . 521

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\.. . . ,

Works of

:/ ///

LJo Strauss

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ABBREVIATIOt: ' S-,- .

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IAbravanel - - On Abravanelt s 'Philosophical Tendency and Poli t ical

Teac\>ing in Isaac Abravariel.

· Accounts ' , - - A Giving of Accounts

iC&M - - ~ City and Man,

,Cohen's RR - - Introduction to Cohen's Rel ig ion o f Reason

~ l l i n g w 1 0 d On Collingwood's Philosophy of History'

FP - - Farabi s Plato. - , \.

,Guide -- Introduction to Moses Maimonides ' The Guide o f th e Perplexed

~ i l l e ~ L e c t u r e Why We Remai n J ews ?

l-listPP - - History ' ; f Pol i t ical Philosophy

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}Jobbes - - The Poli t ical Philosophy of Hobbes

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/ Husik - - Preface to Phi losoph ical Essays .· 'by Isaac Husik

InG,en - - Interpretat ion of Genesis

interpretat ion -_ Philosophy as R igor ou s Scie nc e a na Poli t ical ,

Philosophy .

J&A - - The Beginnip.g of the Bible and Its Gree¥ Counte rpar ts

LAM - - Liberalism Ancient and Modern

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Macchi Thopghts on Machiavell i NR - - Natural Right and History ·

Ot'lTyr - - On Tyranny

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PAW n Pcrsccutwn and t h e · ~ ¢ r t of Writing

P G __ Philosophic und Gcset .;

A

__ Quelquell remarques sur· la science politiqj1e de i m ~ i d e

et de.Farabi, 1 > __ S o c r a t ~ s and AristQphanes

__ S p i n o z ~ s Critique of Religion·

Sparta _.lIThe Spirit of Sparta and t he -Tast e o f Xenophon't>

Vorwort - - 1965 German edition of Hobbes

Wild - - Ona New Interpretation of .Plato 's Political Philosophy

WPP? n What is Poli t ical Philosophy?

X's Oeconomicus - - Xenophon's Socrat ic D i scour se and Interpretation

of the Oeconomicus

X 's Soc ra te s - - Xenophon's Socratcs

Works on Leo Strauss

LSI, ILeo trauss

LS s Achievement -_ TheAchievement of Lco Strauss

OnLS -_ On Leo Strauss

Hermeneutik - - Der hermeneut ische Weg von Leo Strauss

: Strauss T ~ l k s - - G Weber 's two days with Strauss '

xi



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J ul iu s G u tt m an n s Phi l os ophi es o f Judaism-·

We i s s Wisdom and P i c t y T h e E th ic s of Maimonidcs

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CHAPTER I

INTRO U TION

This thesis attempts to enucleate t he t hought of Leo S tr .aus s

on Jerusa lem

this wri te r is

and ~ and. thei r. r e la t ion .

a Jew. The specific focus an d

Leo Strauss WaS a ·Jew; specia l interest of

both Leo Strauss, and this wri te r in the investigation of the relation

o f J .c ru s alem and Athens is concerned pr imar i ly with the · re la ti on

of Judaism and philosophy. This thesis wil l examine various writ ings

; of Leo Strauss in an at tempt to bring o ,t c1darly the ir bear ings on

this theme. The t ~ e i aspi re ,to a careful and thorough and s tra ight

I

thinking discl\sBio,h of Leo Strauss s writ ings. writings which exemplify

the author s high s tandards of card , thoroughncss and s t raight t i n k i n ~

Consonant with its at tempt to be t rue to t he t hought of Leo Strauss , .the

thesis is not pr imar ,i ly conccrncd with the achi evemen t o f o ri gi nal it y.



The Originality of This Thesi s

Every one of us is probably f lat tered by th e implication that we

could be original w only tr ied. Thi s imp li ca ti on d raws our

attention away from o ur s m p ~ and urgent duties the duties

to be careful and thorough a nd to think st raight . 1

The f ac il e d el us io ns which conceal f rom us our true situation

a l l amount to th is : that we are can be, wiser than th e

wisest men of the past . We a re thus induced to play th e part ,

not o f a tt en ti ve and doci le , l is teners , but of impresar ios or

l ion- tamers .2

The wr it ing s, of Leo Straus s do not ra is e cla ims to

originality; on the contrary, they a re se lf_effac ing ; they conspicuously

resent themselve s a s cCjmmentaries on the thought of others . The /

aim of these commentaries of eoStrauss s writings is to

understand in an untraditional or f resh manner what was hitherto

I • •understood only in a t radit ional or derivative manner . 3

ILea S tr au ss , Comment, Church History, XV, 100.

2Leo Strauss ,

1968), 8 - - hereafter ,

Liberal ism Ancient and ,Modernj

LAM,

(Ba sic Books,

3Leo Strauss , The City and Man (Rand McNally, 1964), 9 - -

hereaf ter , C M,

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Leo Strauss on Jerusalem and Athens

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