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9-1-1975

Leo Strauss on Jerusalem and Athens

Stanley Gilbert Weber

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LEO STRAUSS . , - ,
•
ON JERUSALEM AND ATHENS

STANLEY GILBERT WEBER. 13. A .. M.'A.

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A Thcsis

Submlttcd to thc School of Gradl.ntc Studics

in Pnrtial Fulfllmcnt of thc Rcquircmcnts

Doctor of Philosophy

,
McMastcr Univcrsity

(Septcmber) 197 5

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I STANLEY GILBERT WEBER 1976
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LEO STRAUSS
ON JERUSALEM 'AND ATHENS

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DOCTOR .OF PlIILOSOi'IIY (1975) i
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(Religious Science~)
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'TITLE: , .
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AUTHOR: Stanley Gilbert Webcr, B, A. (Washington Univc'rsity)
Rabbinical Ordination.
(Rabbi Chaim Berlin Rf\bbinical
Seminary),
. ~ .- M. A. (McMaster" University)

SUPERVISOR~ Professor G. P. Grant

NUMBER OF PAGES: xii 5Z7

ii
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Thill' thesis a;ttempts to" nudeat.e the thought of Leo Strauss

";".
. .. \.

, '. ,onthe'relatiorio(~~rjl/3alem 'an Athens: The specific focus and

.Ilt>l!c\at'iit'~~est:of this thesis in L o Strauss' s inve-s~igatioris of

• - '-. \ ~ •.' -.. , :. .- • , , .:\' >' .

Jerusalem,and Ath':lns ill the relation of judaism and philosophy.

The es'sential asser'tion o'f Straus's:position is the funda-,

mental and irreconcil~ble opposition bet ee,n Jerusalem and',Athens.

_~T:~fundamentalop~osition is discer~ed'~\ Stra~.~s' chiefly in the _

classical com:epti(}n-oi.phiJ,sls~phyand the "~taPhYSiCS" of tl).e

-:---_. -"- \

Bible. and in the contrast of philosophic moral}~Yand-th.c._morality

, .
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of the Bible.

Although evidencing change ~r "development." Strauss's

thought remains centrally concerned with "das th'eologisch-

politische Problem. II His early work on Maimonides and his Islamic

predecessors, ~sophi'e und Gesetz, exhibits his concern with

the relation of political philosophy and theology, exotericism. the

relation of the Law and the natural law. the quarrel between anc~ents

and mode~ns, the distorting effect of reading pre-modern writers

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 through modern lenses and the' inadequacy of modern philosophies

of Judaism., The 'extent and charader of Strauss's "development,"

. 'as well as the abiding u~ity of. his vision, is indicated in viewing

his earlier understanding in light ofiiis own later "corrections."

The thesis concludes with Strauss's thematic elaboration of '.

the insufficiency generally of Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment

accommodations of Jer~salem and of modern Jewish" movements,"

in particular. / .

..What is all important to thi .. th~sis is the central fact .of

I.
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Strauss' ~e.-lOng ~ttention to Jerusalem and Athens, to "das

.theOlOgiSCh-~Sche Pr~b~em,,, to Judaism and philosophy.

Attention is the essence of the "third alternative" to unreasoned

"

belief and unreasoned. unbelief.

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\ " \' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS " _.'

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This thesis ~as taken long. and over its long' course I have taken'

I much from many -- 'most. from those ,closest to me~ my wife Deborah and
~. ,~.~\ ..... ".. . . ' . ' ~ ., ' . .
\mychildren: Sara•. Kalman. Peri Linda. Y'ael Tamara and David Mordechai.
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"'"Deborah typed
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my way through graduate school; it was she who not only'
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tJed ev&ry letter of this thesis at every stage., in

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~he end. it was she,who
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got iYdo·ne. susta:ining an immense effort in tJ:te face of ~dverse con~it'ioris"
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The better 'part of my higher ~ducation must he credited, to 'my super-,
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visor. Dr. GeorgeP. Gra:nt. who stimulated and guided my endeavours t~

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educated in"~higher,': things: For the past three years, I ,hav~ enjoyed
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/ the privilege and opportunity of being a teaching member of the Department.
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for which I thank him. I thank him for his long-suffering endurance of the

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

gr'ateful for his seeing it through to completion and for seeing to it that
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it was completed.

Dr. A. Eugene ~ombs. my teacher. colleague. and cla,ssroom

collaborator is a friend and, as such, his contribution to the work of this

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thesis. at every stage. was substantial.
G
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'1 gratefully acknowledge the generous a'ssistance of Canada cjuncil

for the four years i t awarded me the c:,nad~ncil Doctoral Fell,Owshi'p.

.....
I pray I may look forward to giving.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

, Page
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. Abstract : .• ',' 0 ••••••••••• : •• :1 · . iii
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\\ A b breviatio ns ..... , .....
. 00 •••••••' •••

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Ch~pt';r
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. 1. INTRODUC TION < ..'
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1. The "Originality" of this Thesis .. 2 0 • • • • • • 0 •• , ,

2. The Introduction of Leo Strauss by Le? Strauss: .::"

• The Jew in tne Grip of the Contempo'rary
Theologico-Political Predicament , .. '9
3. "The Jewish Problem" , , ......•. 15
4. Liberalism, Conservatism and "the Jewish
-Pro!>.lem", .. 0 , ~ • 0 : •••20 • , •••••• 0 •• 0 ••••• 0 ••••

5, On the "Conservatism" of Herzl and Polith:al

Zionism . 23
6. Liberalism: Less Than a Perfect Solution But
the Best Viable -- According to 'Classical
Conservatism, Jud'aism, and Zionism,
RespectiYely... : 25
(
0 •••••••••• 0 0 • 0 ••• , 0 •• , ••••

7. "The Jewish Problem" and the "Preestablished

Harmony Between Value,.free Science and
Liberal Values" 29 0 •••••••••• 0 0 • 0 ••

8.
) ;' Strauss the Conservative and the Liberal
. h "0 pIniOn
J e~~s .. L ea d er " ..... • . 36 -0 • 0 •• , •••••••••

/ 9, The Nearness 0< the Philistines .. 43 0 0 •• 0" •• 0 •••

"In What Sense or To What Extent Is Judaism

10.
One of the'Roots of Liberalism? Are Jews "
\ Compelled by Their Heritage, . '; To Be
LOb I?" ' . ' 48

/
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12.
1 era s
On "L" . II
IVes ..
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Socrates and Thucydides: Athenian_s

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/ U'. Starting From What "!Jas Hitting l'lim,Direc y' 65

'I 14~ "Jerusalemitell or "Athenian"

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15. An Example of Disinclination To Take

Strauss Seriously As a Serious Scholar of
Jeru~alem.: "Der'herme.neutische Weg von
Leo Strauss" ~ ~ .I~ . 69
1&. Strauss's Rediscovery of Exotericism.%. " 77
17. "Definitions" ~f" Exoteric". and ".E~oteh '.' .. 81
18. Str.auss's Redlscovery of Exotenclsm~' he
Prime Target of His Critics; " . 84
19. Exotericism and" The Twin Sisters"
Positivism and Historicism . 94
2Q. Reading "Old .Books" anc\ Historicism and ~
.Positivism ~ , . 96
21. The Need for Historical Studies . 108
22. Conclusibn: The Question of Strauss',S'
"Nonorthodoxy" ; /,' . 111
23. Plan of the Chapters Following . 129

I II. U:0 STRAUSS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL OPPOSITION

___ OF 'JERUSALEM AND ATHENS................ 13&
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Section One
Introduction ·.•
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·L·. '. .. ,: . 137
Strauss and Christian Theology.. ' . 138
Apparent Affinities . 147
Some Apparent Resemblances of Jerusalem
and Athens and Some Significant Differences· 149
Nature -- The Root Issue Between Athens
and ·Jerusalem ' ' . 154
GenesIs As Read By Strauss: The Bible's
Rejection of Athens ~' .. 170
Trust and Hope in' God and Tears in Jerusalem.
The Ql\est for Knowledge and Laughter in
Athens: . 179
More R~garding Respective Views of The
. Beginnings . 186
On Plato 'on Beginnings : . 189
On the Bible On the Arts " . 192
More than" Apparent" Affiniti~s , . 196
11 Anticipations" .:1 • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : .. 202
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Section Two,
13. '\Aspec~s of the Conco;orn ,with Justice in <> "
, )Athens and Jerusalem Respectively:
Some Significant Differences '; •.... '. 205
14. The Fusion of Nature and Law 't' .. 217
15. On Strauss's Early" Leaning" .. , .. " . , , , . , , ... 222
16. "The natural law", , , " , .. , , , .', .I , : 224
17. "The natural law" and the Law, , ... , , . , .. , .. , 225
18. "The natural law" Lacks" Categoric.
•
Imperatives 11
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Section Three
'19. "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" -- The "Answers"
Respectively of the Philosopher. the Greek
Gentleman,and the Pious Adherent of Biblical
, Tradition,. ~ ..•......... , ',' . , .' ..... , ..... , • (244
20, The Philosopher -- "a benefactor only \ .
accidentally" ,' , , .', " '\247
/' 21. "The Two Ways of Life" and Bibli9al Piety , 266 '
22. The Pious of Jerusalem ,.,., , , .. 271
23. Biblical Piety Viewed from the" Heights"
Ascended by" the Philosopher. , , , .. , 277
24. Patris and Politeia and Jew, , , . 296
25. , Love of Neighbor -- How Difficult It is., '.. 305
26. Strauss's "Restatement on, Xenophon' s Hiero":
Love and the Philosopher .. , ', , . 310
27. The Contrast and Affinity with Biblical Teaching .316
28. The Greek Ruler and the Jewish King ..... , ... 323
29. Aristotle's Gentleman Contrasted to Maimonides'
Jewish "Wise" Map and "Pious" Man "., 325
30. Conclus;,on, .. ,.', :". , , , :. , .. 329

Ill. LEO STRAUSS'S PHILOSOPHIE UND GESETZ

ON,PLATONIC POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND
MAIMONIDES -- THE "ARISTOTELIZING" CLASSIC
\ RATIONALIST IN JUDAISM" , , ,.... 332

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

2. Political Philosophy Its Two Significations
and Strauss's Chapter Headings ".Die gesetzliche
Begrundung der Philos'ophie" and "Die philosophische
Begriindung des Gesetzes" ............• ; .. : . . 335

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3. ,:,The'Meanings of "Political Philosophy" .\.. , , 337
4·, 'Difference
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Betwe'en
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and Aristotle
Not" a Central Theme But Not I'gnoreri in ......
Strau's s' s Wo·rk•.......... , . , .... " . , .. '...•' . 340
5. The Contrast Between Christian
. /......---S;:hoIa-9~m and Maimonides: : .': ' .. , . 343
. 6. Abravanel ' s -Anti_Political Politfcal
. Thought..... , ... , . ~ .. , • ,,: , .. , .. '.' .•.. , . , , 348
7. Gersonides: A Truer Arist.ote.1ian.. , .. , ; . , .• 355
8, Aspects of the Impa'ct of Jerusalem on
. Platonism.•. , •• , , , . ~:. ; ', '•••.. 358
9. "Was hat der Jude
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mit Platon oder \

/ Aristoteles zu/schaffen"? , ..... '.. , .'. . . . • . . .

10. '!, . ' . aUth'e difference in the world" .• : ...• ~
372
387
11. "Die'gesetzliche Begrundung d'i'r philosophie"
and the Extreme Rationalists Averroes and
GersonideW , .....• ~ ' , . 399
12 •. Conclusion: The Three Major Moments in the
,"'-- '. Development of Strauss's Understanding of
Maimonides .•......... , :;,. 419

I~. LEO STRAUSS ON MODERN ENUGHTENMENT

AND BIBLICAL TRADITION

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

2. The. Theologico-Political Garden. . . . . . . . . . . . 430
3. Strauss' 5 'Theological Focus on Modernity
Follows (the More Political Focus Not
Treated Here)... . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 436
4. The Peculiar Epicureanism of Modernity. . . . . 4}9
5. The Introduction to Philosophie und Gesetz... '470

Appendix A '. , .. , . ~ . 517

Bibliography . 521

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ABBREVIATIOt:'!S-,-
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Works of LJo Strauss

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Abravanel ' -- "On Abravanelt s 'Philosophical Tendency and Political

Teac\>ing" in Isaac Abravariel.
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·"Accounts"', -- "A Giving of Accounts"
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C&M -- Th~ City and
, Man
,

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Cohen's RR -- Introduction to Cohen's Religion of Reason
'"
C~llingw10d" ~- "On Collingwood's Philosophy of History'"

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"FP" -- "Farabi' s Plato"
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Guide --!Introduction to Moses Maimonides' The Guide of th'e Perplexed
'\.

"~ille~/Lecture" -- "Why We Remain Jews ?"

l-listPP -- History';f Political Philosophy

.-
}Jobbes -- The Political Philosophy of Hobbes
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/ Husik -- Preface to Philosophical Essays .·'by Isaac Husik

"InG,en" -- "Interpretation of Genesis"

interpretation -_ "Philosophy as Rigorous Science ana Political,

Philosophy" .

"J&A" -- "The Beginnip.g of the Bible and Its Gree¥ Counterparts"

LAM -- Liberalism Ancient and Modern ,/

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Macchi -~ Thopghts on Machiavelli ,

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NR -- Natural Right and History·
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Ot'lTyr -- On Tyranny .

PAW n Pcrsccutwn and the·~.¢\rt of Writing

~.

P&G __ Philosophic und Gcset".;

__ "Quelquell remarques sur·la science politiqj1e de. Maim~ide

.,.. . ""
,1>__,
et de.Farabi" "

S&A __ Socrat~s and AristQphanes .'

~ __ Spinoz~'s Critique of Religion·

"Sparta" _.lIThe Spirit of Sparta and the-Taste of Xenophon't>

"Vorwort" -- 1965 German edition of Hobbes

"Wild" -- "On a New Interpretation of .Plato's Political Philosophy"

WPP? n What is Political Philosophy?

X's Oeconomicus -- Xenophon's Socratic Discourse and Interpretation

of the Oeconomicus

X's Socrates -- Xenophon's Socratcs

Works on Leo Strauss

"LSI, __ 'ILeo Strauss"

"LS's Achievement" -_ "The Achievement of Lco Strauss

"On LS" -_ On Leo Strauss

"Hermeneutik" --" Der hermeneutische Weg von Leo Strauss"

: "Strauss T~lks" -- S. G. Weber's two days with Strauss'

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-~PJ -- Julius Guttmann's Philosophies of Judaism-·

Weiss -- Wisdom and Picty The ,Ethics of Maimonidcs'

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This thesis attempts to enucleate the thought of Leo Str.auss

on Jerusalem and ~ns and. their. relation. .

Leo Strauss WaS
,
a ·Jew;

this writer is a Jew. The specific focus and special interest of

both Leo Strauss, and this writer in the investigation of the relation

of J.crus alem and Athens is concerned primarily with the ·relation

of Judaism and philosophy. This thesis will examine various writings

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of Leo Strauss in an attempt to bring o",t c1darly their bearings on

this theme. The t~\eSiS aspire" ,to a "careful and thorough" and straight
I
thinking discl\sBio,h of Leo Strauss's writings. writings which exemplify

the author's high standards of card, thoroughncss and straight thinking~

Consonant with its attempt to be true to the thought of Leo Strauss, .the

thesis is not primar,ily conccrncd with the achievement of originality.

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1. The "Originality'" of This Thesis

Every one of us is probably flattered by the implication that we

could be original if w-e only tried. This implication draws our
attention away from our simpl~ and urgent duties" the duties
to be careful and thorough a'nd to think straight. 1

The facile delusions which conceal from us our true situation

all amount tothis: that we are, at can be, wiser than the
wisest men of the past. We are thus induced to play the part,
not of attentive and docile,listeners, but of impresarios or
lion-tamers. 2 "

The writings, of Leo Straus s do not rais e claims to

originality; on the contrary, they are self_effacing; they conspicuously

"
present themselve's as" cCjmmentaries" on the thought of others. The
.../
aim of these II commentaries II of Leo Strauss l s writings. is to

understand "in an untraditional or fresh manner what was hitherto

I •, •
understood only in a traditional or derivative manner." 3

ILea Strauss, "Comment," Church History, XV, 100.

2 Leo Strauss, Liberalism Ancient and ,Modern (Ba'sic Books,

j
1968), 8 -- hereafter, LAM,

3
Leo Strauss, The City and Man (Rand McNally, 1964), 9 --
hereafter, C &M,

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