POL S 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Leo Strauss, Orthodox Judaism, Political Theology
Document Summary
Texts are examples of a greater language of explanation (oakshott) All texts are a way of understanding the world politically. Esoteric reading: looking for the hidden meanings of things; reading between the lines. Political philosophy is the question of the good life or the good society. Preservation or change: guided by some thought of better or worse, by opinion. Politics aims at some aspect of life that is valuable to people. Fostered by connections with other people that we can maintain. Agency: ability to make some decisions for yourself. Phil. is the effort to complete a true knowledge of politics; push beyond the idea of opinion and ask what we truly know about what"s necessary for the good life. It"s not a matter of opinion, it"s about what you can argue about it and know and justify strauss. Aim for the truth, not a matter of preference (repetitive) Different from political theology (revelation, what god wants us to do)
