Strauss believed that modern Western thought had run aground because it assumed that scientific advancement and enlightenment must naturally result in atheism and relativism. By returning to the medieval Islamic-Jewish tradition, Strauss found a "golden mean." These Arabic sources demonstrated to Strauss that reason and revelation do not need to destroy one another. Instead, they can co-exist within a well-ordered society where philosophy remains a private quest for the few, and religious law governs the political life of the many.
The medieval Islamic philosophers (falāsifa) fundamentally shaped Leo Strauss’s political thought, providing him with a framework to critique modern secularism and recover ancient philosophy. While conventional scholarship often viewed thinkers like al-Fārābī, Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā), and Averroes (Ibn Rushd) through a metaphysical or Neoplatonic lens, Strauss argued that their core contributions were deeply political and Platonic. [1, 2, 3]
He discovered in Islamic philosophy a unique reconciliation of reason and revelation that served as his gateway to understanding both the Jewish philosopher Maimonides and Plato himself. [1, 2]
1. The Theological-Political Problem: Law vs. Theology
Strauss contended that Islam, unlike Christianity, presents itself primarily as Divine Law (Sharia or nomos) rather than dogmatic theology. Because Islamic philosophy operated within a framework of legal revelation, medieval Muslim thinkers turned to Plato’s political philosophy (specifically the Republic and Laws) rather than Aristotle’s metaphysics to understand their own religion. [1, 2, 3]
- The Perfect City: Muslim philosophers treated prophecy and revelation as subjects of political science. The foundation of the "perfect city" was seen as the primary reason for Divine Law. [1]
- Religion as Social Order: Under the influence of Averroes, Strauss adopted the view that religious law serves as a necessary mechanism to establish total social and political order, promoting stability for the masses while protecting the pursuit of truth for the wise. [1, 2]
2. The Recovery of Esotericism
One of Strauss’s most famous intellectual concepts—esotericism (the practice of hiding heterodox philosophical truths beneath a surface of religious orthodoxy)—was directly inspired by his reading of the falāsifa and Maimonides. [1, 2]
- The Medieval vs. Modern Enlightenment: Strauss noted that modern enlightenment thinkers (like Spinoza) were exoteric, attempting to educate the entire public and inevitably destabilizing social order. [1, 2]
- Persecution and Art of Writing: Conversely, medieval Islamic and Jewish philosophers practiced an esoteric enlightenment. They understood that a radical conflict exists between philosophy (open inquiry) and the laws of the city. They concealed their true, often unorthodox views to protect society from chaos and themselves from persecution. [1, 2, 3]
3. Key Influences by Philosopher
| Philosopher | Core Impact on Strauss's Thought |
|---|---|
| al-Fārābī | Considered by Strauss to be the most significant Muslim philosopher. al-Fārābī’s commentaries on Plato showed Strauss how a philosopher could subversively use political philosophy to address revelation and prophecy. |
| Averroes | Strongly shaped Strauss’s early political thought and his critique of religion. Averroes provided the blueprint showing that ultimate happiness is only available to a "few wise people," while the masses require the legal framework of religion. |
| Avicenna | Prompted Strauss's realization that medieval Islamic philosophy was inherently Platonic, treating religion as a political phenomenon. Later in life, Strauss took a more apolitical "Avicennan" stance on the relationship between reason and revelation. |
4. Resolving the "Crisis of Modernity"
Strauss believed that modern Western thought had run aground because it assumed that scientific advancement and enlightenment must naturally result in atheism and relativism. [1]
By returning to the medieval Islamic-Jewish tradition, Strauss found a "golden mean." These Arabic sources demonstrated to Strauss that reason and revelation do not need to destroy one another. Instead, they can co-exist within a well-ordered society where philosophy remains a private quest for the few, and religious law governs the political life of the many. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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