[political-research] On Leo Strauss's Hostility to Science

[Sean McBride]

On Leo Strauss's Hostility to Science     [Since Leo Strauss was an emotional cultist, who interpreted his narcissistic noodlings as divine truth, no wonder he was hostile to science, which is the most empirical and libertarian of human disciplines.  Scientists are required continually to test their assertions against reality in the free and open marketplace of ideas.  Straussians and neocons seek to dictate the truth, based on their emotional needs, not seek the truth by rational and objective methods.  Since they can't survive in a culture of free speech and free inquiry, Straussians are naturally drawn to authoritarian and totalitarian political systems which they hope to control.]     http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Leo_Strauss 
    Fact-Value Distinction Rejected      Strauss rejected or dismissed empirical social science and its findings in large part because he had not been trained to employ them and was therefore unable to make contributions to political science using the scientific method and statistical analysis. Like many scholars trained exclusively in the humanities, he was intellectually trapped in making claims for truth solely on the basis of the close reading of text and intuition. His rejection of the fact-value distinction served as cover for this disability. Strauss explained his rejection in terms of bad consequences. He was convinced that the fact-value distinction produces nihilism. In effect, he recommended rejecting an idea not because it was true or false in the sense of being an accurate statement about the world but because he disliked or feared where it
 might lead in the search for truth. Strauss's rejection is an example of the fallacy called "argument from adverse consequences." See page 212 of Carl Sagan's 1995 book The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York: Random House. ISBN 039453512X. 
__._,_.___





Search the archives for political-research at http://www.terazen.com/

Subscribe to the RSS feed for political-research at http://rss.groups.yahoo.com/group/political-research/rss









   



    


  
  
    SPONSORED LINKS
  
          
                  
            
        Business intelligence
      
                      
        Competitive intelligence
      
                      
        Market intelligence
      
              
                        
            
        Emotional intelligence
      
                      
        Military intelligence
      
                      
        Critical thinking
      
              
                    
           
  







  
  
  YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



   Visit your group "political-research" on the web. 
   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



  






__,_._,___