How Straussians Demonstrate the Cultism of Straussianism
We have several earnest defenders of Leo Strauss here who have never quoted a single paragraph, sentence or phrase of Strauss, have never described his particular ideas, and have never directly answered the many well-informed criticisms that have been made of Strauss! Think about it: they actually care so little about the actual content of Strauss that they can't quote, describe or defend it.
So: why emotionally defend Strauss under such circumstances? Apparently because he is associated with Israel, neoconservatives and Jews in some vague way that inspires mindless loyalty and patriotism among people who are unable to engage in critical thinking.
I've mastered philosophers with
much greater intellectual force and originality than Strauss. What is most remarkable about Strauss is the utter sterility and vacuum at the heart of his logorrhean noodlings. There's no there there. His writings shed light on nothing but his neurotic inability to come to terms with and adjust to the Enlightenment and the modern world.
Interesting passage from an article on Strauss in this week's Forward:
<quote>
A Revisionist [Jabotinskyite] Zionist since his teens, Strauss praised the creation of Israel as "the greatest blessing for Jews everywhere" ....
"I was myself a political Zionist in my youth, and was a member of a Zionist organization. In this capacity, I
occasionally met Jabotinsky, the leader of the Revisionists. He asked me: 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Well, we read the Bible, we study Jewish history, Zionist theory...we keep abreast of developments, and so on.' He replied: 'And rifle practice?' And I had to say, 'No.'"
</quote>
Strauss is supposedly being mildly self-ironic here.
Well, gee whiz: most of the Jabotinskyites and Straussians in the neocon movement, like William Kristol and Douglas Feith, have never fired a rifle either -- they are all well-known for being chickenhawks who wouldn't dream of dirtying their hands by fighting for Israel as citizens and residents of Israel. They are quite adamant that Americans do their dirty work for them.
It is no accident that Leo Strauss has acquired the particular disciples he has -- they reflect who he really is.
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