Customer Reviews

Philosophy and Law: Contributions to the Understanding of Maimonides and His Predecessors (Suny Series in the Jewish Writings of Leo Strauss) (Suny Series, Jewish Writings of Strauss)

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Oddly enough, I found Philosophy and Law to be the best introduction to the thought of Leo Strauss. (Starting in the middle...hmmm...) I had already read a fair number of his works (The Early Writings, Persecution and the Art of Writing, Spinoza's Critique of Religion, and The Political Philosophy of Hobbes) when I approached this slim volume, but after finishing this I returned to the others and found them much easier to grasp. Strauss can be a difficult slog, even for grad students and faculty, but this is Strauss at his clearest - both in his political thought and method.
Granted, this belongs to Strauss' early period, which some view as the "pre-Straussian Strauss." But Philosophy and Law covers a number of the issues addressed in Persecution and the Art of Writing without delving into the infamous question of esotericism, so I don't think one loses too much by starting here.
Adler's translation is excellent, and the binding hasn't fallen apart despite a year's worth of abuse. All in all, an excellent investment.