SUNY in the Thought and Legacy of Leo Strauss

This study examines the impact of the medieval Muslim philosophers al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) on Leo Strauss. Through meticulous source analysis, Georges Tamer critically evaluates Strauss's interpretation of their works. Furthermore, he explores how Islamic philosophy shaped Strauss's understanding of Maimonides and Plato, providing a compelling solution to the modernity crisis he identified. Offering fresh perspectives on the evolution of Strauss's thought and his distinctive approach to Arabic sources, Tamer sheds light on the pivotal role of al-Fārābī, the most significant Muslim philosopher in Strauss's view, including key aspects of al-Fārābī's political philosophy and his nuanced take on Plato's ideas. Islamic Philosophy and the Crisis of Modernity is a valuable addition to current scholarship on Strauss. Both philosophically erudite and philologically rigorous, Tamer presents the reader with a balanced perspective on Strauss's insights without being overly reverential or dismissive.

Brings together the most remarkable essays on classical and modern philosophy by noted political philosopher Christopher Bruell. Christopher Bruell (1942–2024) was one of the great modern interpreters of classical and modern political philosophy. This volume includes almost all the essays, lectures, and book chapters that he published during a remarkable scholarly career that spanned more than four decades. Five of these writings focus on Leo Strauss, with whom Bruell studied as a young man. But the scope of the collection extends beyond Bruell's work on Strauss. The essays take up a wide range of topics, including liberal education, the problem of relativism, the American Founding, the nature of citizenship, and the question of happiness. Above all, the collection focuses on the recovery of classical political philosophy and includes pathbreaking essays on Thucydides, Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle. Also included in this volume are three previously unpublished essays.