Mete Ulaş AKSOY

ELİTİST FELSEFE VE EZOTERİK DİKTATÖRLÜK: LEO STRAUSS ÖZELİNDE BİR TARTIŞMA

Strauss 2000’li yıllardan itibaren popüler basında ve akademide, üzerine çok söz söylenen bir akademik figür haline gelmiştir. Bu ilgi artışının sebebi, Strauss’un gizli bir tiranlık öğretisi savunduğu ve bu öğretinin ABD’nin dış politika ve güvenlik elitlerinde mühim bir tesir oluşturduğu iddiasıdır. Bu noktada, Strauss’un özellikle ezoterizm hakkındaki görüşleri ve klasiklere dönüşü savunan politika felsefesi, yoğun bir şekilde incelenmiş ve tartışılmaya başlanmıştır. Makalede, Strauss’un felsefesi, tiranlık ve ezoterizm üçgeninde şekillenen bu tartışmaların ana hatları verilecektir. Birinci bölümde bu tartışmaların genel çerçevesi ortaya konmuştur. İkinci bölümde, Strauss’un ezoterizmden ne anladığı açıklanmış ve Strauss’a yönelik tiranlık eleştirilerin ana hatları gösterilmiştir. Üçüncü bölümde, bu eleştirilerin genel bir değerlendirilmesi sunulmuştur. Makale, Strauss’un politika felsefesinin, gizli bir diktatörlük ve tiranlık savunusu ihtiva etmediğini iddia etmektedir.

ELISTIST PHILOSOPHY AND ESOTERIC DICTATORSHIP: A DEBATE IN THE CASE OF LEO STRAUSS

After 2003, Leo Strauss has become a prominent political philosoper in popular media and academy due to the controversial and polemical articles. The reason for the increase in both public and academic attention to Strauss is the alleged influence of Strauss over the elits governing the USA.’s foreign and security policies. In this context, this attention has provoked an intense and lively debate which addresses Strauss’s understanding of classical political philosophy and his views on esoterism. In this study, we are going to analyze the basic elements of the debate on Strauss’s esoterism and tyranny. The first part of the paper presents the general framework of the debates on Strauss. In the second part, the basic arguments of the critics claiming the existence of (esoteric) tyrannical elements in Strauss’s political philosophy is to be presented. In the last part, we offer a critical analysis of the claims viewing Strauss philosophy as being motivated by the tyrannical elements. The article claims that Strauss’s political philosophy does not contain an esoteric tyrannical teaching.

___

Aksoy, Mete Ulaş; “Modernite ve Tiranlık: Leo Strauss’un Modernite Eleştirisinde Tiranlık.” FLSF. Sayı: 26 (2018): 218-238.

Altman, H. F. William; The German Stranger: Leo Strauss and National Socialism. Maryland: Lexington Books, 2012.

Altman, H. F. William; “Altruism and the Art of Writing: Plato, Cicero and Leo Strauss.” Humanitas. Sayı: 22 (2009): 69-98.

Altman, H. F. William; “Leo Strauss on German Nihilism: Learning the Art of Writing.” Journal of History of Ideas. Sayı: 68 (2007): 587-612.

Altman, H. F. William; “Leo Strauss in 1962.” Perspectives on Political Science, sayı: 39 (2010): 97-107.

Arnhart, Larry; “Does Modern Liberalism’s Success Deny the Need for Esoteric Writing and Thus Refute Strauss.” Perspectives on Political Science. Sayı: 44 (2015): 179-182.

Bernstein, Richard; “The Nation; A Very Unlikely Villian (or Hero).” The New York Times. Ocak 29, 1995.

Boesche, Roger; Theories of Tyranny: From Plato to Arendt. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996.

Brague, Remi; “Leo Strauss and Maimonides.” Leo Strauss’s Thought içinde, 93-114. Hazırlayan, A. Udoff. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1991.

Drury, B. Shadia; “Taming the Power”. Leo Strauss, Education and Political Thought içinde, 162-180. Hazırlayan J.G. York ve M. A. Peters. Madison: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2011.

Drury, B. Shadia; “Leo Strauss and the American Imperial Project.” Political Theory. Sayı: 35 (2007): 62-67.

Drury, B. Shadia; Politiclal Ideas of Leo Strauss. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

Drury, B. Shadia; “Leo Strauss’s Classic Natural Right Teaching.” Political Theory. Sayı: 15 (1987): 299- 315.

Drury, B. Shadia; “The Esoteric Philosophy of Leo Strauss.” Political Theory. Sayı: 13 (1985): 315-337.

Drury, B. Shadia; “The Hidden Meaning of Strauss’s Thoughts on Machiavelli.” History of Political Thought. Sayı: 6 (1985): 575-590.

Frost, Bryan-Paul; “Who Won the Strauss-Kojeve Debate? The Case for Alexandre Kojeve in His Dispute with Leo Strauss.” Philosophy, History and Tyranny: Reexamining the Debate Between Leo Strauss and Alexandre Kojeve. İçinde: 157-196. Hazırlayan: T. Burns ve B. Frost. New York: State University of New York Press, 2016.

Gilbert, Alan; “Leo Strauss and the Principles of Right: An Introduction to Strauss’ Letter.” Constellations. sayı: 16 (2009): 78-81.

Green, K. Hart; “Religion, Philosophy and Morality: How Leo Strauss Read Judah Halevi’s Kuzari.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Sayı: 61 (1993): 225-273.

Homes, Stephen; The Anatomy of Antiliberalism. London: Harvard University Press, 1996.

Jonas, Hans; “The Practical Uses of Theory.” The Phenomenon of Life. İçinde: 187-210. Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2001.

Kojeve, Alexandre; “Tyranny and Wisdom.” On Tyranny. İçinde: 132-176. Hazırlayan: V. Gourevitch ve M. S. Roth. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991.

Lampert, Laurence; Leo Strauss and Nietzsche. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1997.

Lilla, Mark; The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics. New York: New York Review of Books, 2016.

Lilla, Mark; Shipwreck Mind: On Political Reaction. New York: New York Review of Books, 2016.

Melzer, M. Arthur; Philosophy Between the Lines: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2014.

Newell, R., Waller; Ruling Passion: The Erotics of Statecraft in Platonic Political Philosophy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000.

Peterman, Larry; “Approaching Leo Strauss: Some Comments on ‘Thoughts on Machiavelli.’ Political Science Reviewer. Sayı: 16 (1986): 317-352.

Plato; Republic. Çeviren: Allan Bloom. Basic Books, 1991.

Rosen, Stanley; Hermeneutics as Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Ruderman, S. Richard; “Through the Keyhole: Leo Strauss’ Rediscovery of Classical Political Philosophy in Xenophon’s Constitution of Lacedaemonians.” Brill’s Companions to Leo Strauss’ Writing on Classical Thought. İçinde: 213-227. Hazırlayan: T. W. Burns. Leiden: Brill, 2015.

Smith, Steven; “Philosophy as a Way of Life: The Case of Leo Strauss.” The Review of Politics. Sayı: 71 (2009): 37-53.

Söllner, Alfons; “Leo Strauss: German Origin and American Impact.” Hannah Arendt and LStrauss: German Emigres and American Political Thought. İçinde 121-138, Hazırlayan: P. G. Kielmansegg. H. Mewes ve E. Glaser-Schmidt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Strauss, Leo; On Tyranny. New York: The Free Press, 1991.

Strauss, Leo; “Restatement,” Leo Strauss on Tyranny. İçinde 177-213. Hazırlayan: V. Gourevitch ve M. S. Roth. New York: The Free Press, 1991.

Strauss, Leo; “An Epilogue,” An Introduction to Political Philosophy. İçinde, 125-157. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.

Strauss, Leo; “Liberal Education and Responsibility.” An Introduction to Political Philosophy. İçinde, 321-349. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.

Strauss, Leo; “An Introduction to Heideggerian Existentialism.” The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism: An Introduction to the Thought of Leo Strauss. İçinde: 27-46. Hazırlayan: Thomas Pangle. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Strauss, Leo; “What is Political Philosophy?” Introduction to Political Philosophy. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.

Strauss, Leo; “Three Waves of Modernity,” Introduction to Political Philosophy. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.

Strauss, Leo; The Argument and Action of Plato’s Laws. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975.

Strauss, Leo; Xenophon’s Socratic Discourse. South Bend: St. Augustine’s Press, 1970

Strauss, Leo; Xenophon’s Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1972.

Strauss, Leo; Natural Right and History. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1965.

Strauss, Leo; The City and Man. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1964.

Strauss, Leo; Thought on Machiavelli. Illinois: The Free Press, 1957.

Strauss, Leo; Persecution and the Art of Writing. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1952.

Strauss, Leo; “The Spirit of Spart and the Taste of Xenophon.” Social Research. Sayı: 6 (1939): 502-536.

Tanguay, Daniel; Leo Strauss: An Intellectual Biography. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Xenos, Nicholas; Cloaked in Virtue: Unveiling Leo Strauss and the Rhetoric of American Foreign Policy. New York: Routledge, 2008.

Zuckert, Catherine ve Zuckert; Micheal. The Truth About Leo Strauss. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2006).