Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy: A Conservative Critique

by Grant N. Havers

Overview

Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy critically interprets Strauss's political philosophy from a conservative perspective. Most mainstream readers of Strauss have either condemned him from the Left as an extreme right-wing opponent of liberal democracy or celebrated him from the Right as a traditional defender of Western civilization. Rejecting both portrayals, Grant N. Havers shifts the debate beyond the conventional parameters stating that Strauss was neither a man of the Far Right nor a conservative but. in fact a secular Cold War liberal.

In Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy Havers contends that the most troubling implication of Straussianism is that it provides an ideological rationale for the aggressive spread of democratic values on a global basis while ignoring the preconditions that make these values possible. Concepts such as the rule of law, constitutional government, Christian morality, and the separation of church and state are not easily transplanted beyond the historic confines of Anglo-American civilization, as recent wars to spread democracy have demonstrated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501774386
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	08/15/2024
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Grant N. Havers is Chair of the Department of Philosophy, with a cross-appointment in Political Studies, at Trinity Western University, in British Columbia, Canada. He is the author of Lincoln and the Politics of Christian Love.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 Saving Anglo-Americans from Themselves 13

Chapter 2 Athens in Anglo-America 33

Chapter 3 Leo Strauss, from Left to Right 65

Chapter 4 Churchill, the Anglo-American Greek? 98

Chapter 5 The Anglo-American Struggle with Strauss 122

Chapter 6 Leo Strauss and the Uniqueness of the West 153

Notes 169

Bibliography 219

Index 239

What People are Saying About This

Paul Gottfried

Grant Havers's study of Leo Strauss is a beautifully written, and judiciously argued study of Leo Strauss and the school of thought that this scholar founded. Although Havers raises critical points about Strauss's slighting of the Christian tradition in interpreting Western political theory and the American founding, this book manages to treat its subjects with appropriate respect even while suggesting their shortcomings. Havers's study richly deserves a honored place in the critical literature on Strauss and his impact on American politics and culture.

Samuel Moyn

This book is extremely creative, impressively learned, and fluently written.

Travis Smith

Havers's approach to the analysis of Strauss is distinctive, and he sets forth several important case studies in order to advance his argument. This is a significant contribution to the growing literature on the thought and legacy of Leo Strauss.

Editorial Reviews

Grant Havers' conservative-oriented critique of Leo Strauss' work is brave, counter-intuitive, and ultimately persuasive.

C2C Journal

In any revelatory study, there is always the moment when the reader thinks 'That's true. I should have seen that.' For me, that moment came with Havers's account—learned, subtle, and occasionally surprising—of Strauss's liberalism.

The American Conservative

One of the most thorough critiques to date of the political uses and abuses of Strauss's thought.

Perspectives on Politics

""Grant Havers's study of Leo Strauss is a beautifully written, and judiciously argued study of Leo Strauss and the school of thought that this scholar founded. Although Havers raises critical points about Strauss's slighting of the Christian tradition in interpreting Western political theory and the American founding, this book manages to treat its subjects with appropriate respect even while suggesting their shortcomings. Havers's study richly deserves a honored place in the critical literature on Strauss and his impact on American politics and culture.

" -Paul Gottfried, author of Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America

"This book is extremely creative, impressively learned, and fluently written.

" -Samuel Moyn, Columbia University

"Havers's approach to the analysis of Strauss is distinctive, and he sets forth several important case studies in order to advance his argument. This is a significant contribution to the growing literature on the thought and legacy of Leo Strauss.

" -Travis Smith, Associate Professor, Concordia University "

From the Publisher