Philosophy, History, and Tyranny

The first comprehensive examination of the debate between Leo Strauss and Alexandre Kojeve on the subject of philosophy and tyranny.On Tyranny remains a perennial favorite, possessing a timelessness that few philosophical or scholarly debates have ever achieved. On one hand, On Tyranny is the first book-length work in Leo Strauss's extended study of Xenophon, and his 'Restatement' retains a vivacity and directness that is sometimes absent in his later works. On the other, 'Tyranny and Wisdom' is perhaps the most succinct yet fullest articulation of Alexandre Kojeve's overall political thought, and it presents what may be the most uncompromising alternative to Strauss's position as a whole. This volume contains for the first time a comprehensive and critical examination of the debate from scholars well versed in the thought of Strauss, Kojeve, Hegel, Heidegger, and the end of history thesis. Of particular interest will be the appendix, which offers for the first time Kojeve's unabridged response to Strauss, a response previously available only from the Fonds Kojeve at Le Bibliotheque Nationale de France. Accessible to students and scholars alike, this volume works equally well in the classroom and as a resource for more advanced research.