[ozzymandus]

A local pseudo-intellectual leftist had a column in the paper today that was a hit-piece on Leo Strauss. Maybe he got it from this book.

[shrinkermd]

He may have obtained the critique on Strauss from this book. What most seem to hate about Strauss is not who he was and what he wrote but who were his followers were--Allan Bloom, Paul Wolfowitz, Abram Shulsky, Irving Krstol and so forth and so on.

Strauss was a believer in the great books of the Western world and even in his life time was criticized for being "too Jewish" as were many of his students. Strauss also favored pursuit of an empire and supported religion but may have been a skeptic at best.

IMHO most of the criticisms are directed as his followers and their successes. I also believe, from personal observation, that many resent the "Jewishness" of the people Strauss mentored. Seemingly, if they had been Bohemians or Hollanders it would have been a more acceptible school of thought.