Just Curious

Intoxicating read

Just finished Leo Strauss' "On Tyranny," and I've just started reading Alexandre Kojeve's comments on it, titled "Tyranny and Wisdom." (an obscure title: the original French title "L'Action politique des philosophes" is much more accurate) I think if there is one thing I could say at this point is that Strauss did a very good job in disguising his "brilliant and impassioned book" as a "calmly objective work of scholarship." In accordance with the best Socratic tradition, Strauss pretty spoke through the ancients like Xenophon, Simonides, Hiero and even Socrates (whose shadow never ceases lurking in the background) in this "commentary of Xenophon's Hiero" by imputing his own ideas into their dialogues by reading very closely between the lines Xenophon wrote.

Brilliant.

posted by James Chang @ 1:11 AM