Books by Leo Strauss

A series of lectures from 1965 in which Strauss laid out his views on political philosophy in the form of an introductory course.

Strauss's lectures that led up to his most important work, Natural Right and History.

?Every study included is distinguished by Strauss's erudition and by a profound seriousness of purpose and tone. . . .?-Political Science Quarterly

Presents a collection of author's writings on Maimonides, comprising sixteen essays, three of which appear in English for the first time. This title provides translations of materials that are originally quoted in Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, German, and French; written an informative introduction highlighting the contributions found in each essay.

Introduces revisions throughout and expands authors' restatement of his position in light of Kojeve's commentary to bring it into conformity with the text as it was originally published in France.

Published posthumously, this book offers insight into Plato's text "Laws".

In this text Leo Strauss articulates the conflict between reason and revelation as he explores Spinoza's scientific, comparative, and textual treatment of the Bible.

Moses Mendelssohn (1729-86) was the leading Jewish thinker of the German Enlightenment and the founder of modern Jewish philosophy. In addition to Strauss' introductions, the author has translated various editorial annotations Strauss makes on key passages in Mendelssohn's texts.

In this classic analysis, Leo Strauss pinpoints what is original and innovative in the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. He argues that Hobbes's ideas arose not from tradition or science but from his own deep knowledge and experience of human nature. Tracing the development of Hobbes's moral doctrine from his early writings to his major work "The Leviathan, " Strauss explains contradictions in the body of Hobbes's work and discovers startling connections between Hobbes and the thought of Plato, Thucydides, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, and Hegel.

This volume of lectures was first given as a course in 1959 under the title "Plato's Political Philosophy". These lectures, previously unpublished, have been passed down from one generation of students to the next and show Strauss at his insightful best.

This work examines the problem of natural right and argues that there is a firm foundation in reality for the distinction between right and wrong in ethics and politics.

In one of his last books, Leo Strauss examines the confrontation between Socrates and Aristophanes in Aristophanes' comedies. Looking at 11 plays, Strauss shows that this confrontation is essentially one between poetry and philosophy.

Leo Strauss argued that the most visible fact about Machiavelli's doctrine is also the most useful one: Machiavelli seems to be a teacher of wickedness. In his critical appreciation of "The Prince" and the "Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy", Strauss explains his thoughts.