Abstract

The work in review assembles ten essays and lectures by Leo Strauss under three broad headings: "The Spiritual Crisis of Modern Rationalism," "Classical Political Rationalism," and "The Dialogue between Reason and Revelation." Each section includes new and previously published texts: Part One: "Social Science and Humanism," "Relativism," and "An Introduction to Heideggerian Existentialism"; Part Two: "On Classical Political Philosophy," "Exoteric Teaching," "Thucydides: The Meaning of Political History," "The Problem of Socrates: Five Lectures"; Part Three: "On the Euthyphron," "How to Begin to Study Medieval Philosophy," "Progress or Return." These judiciously selected sources are accompanied by a lucid and reflective "Introduction," as well as a supplementary "Bibliography" of Strauss's related writings. In sum, they combine to form an excellent introductory volume--in some respects, the best introduction to Strauss's teaching.