Not required.
Within the Philosophy itinerary of the Master's Degree, this subject presents topics and authors from the area of ​​Moral Philosophy and Political Philosophy, with the aim of expanding and deepening the themes already started in the Degree, also providing the tools to undertake independent research.
Good and City: Philosophy and Politics in the Thought of Leo Strauss
UNIT 1: Introduction
Topic 1: Leo Strauss. Biographical notes and presentation of the author.
UNIT 2: Philosophy and politics in the thought of Leo Strauss
Topic 2: Athens and Jerusalem: the debate between reason and faith.
Topic 3: Modernity and the intellectual situation of the present.
Topic 4: The return to classical political philosophy.
Topic 5: A forgotten art of reading and writing.
Topic 6: The search for natural law and the debate with historicism.
Topic 7: Philosophical life and political life. The debate with Alexandre Kojève.
Topic 8: Liberal education and civic responsibility.
The teaching methodology that will be used in the teaching of the subject is specified in:
Work in the classroom:
1. Lectures. Lectures refer to the presentation by the teachers of the theoretical contents of the subject, the orientation of the students on basic and advanced readings, as well as on complementary sources of information and the establishment of guidelines and keys for the completion of theoretical and practical tasks.
2. Continuous Assessment. Assessment is an integrated part of the teaching-learning process. In this subject, a continuous assessment will be carried out that will combine the delivery and presentation of tasks with the development of objective tests (written) throughout the semester. At the same time, the teachers will give feedback on the progress of the student.
Work or activities outside the classroom:
3. Independent work of the students. The students' independent work consists, on the one hand, of reading selected texts and creating diagrams, summaries, concept maps, etc. based on them; and on the other, of preparing individual assignments, especially essays and oral presentations.
4. Tutorials. All students will have the possibility of requesting individual or group tutorials, by appointment, from the teaching staff. These tutorials may be aimed at resolving doubts about both the content and the preparation of the tasks.
Ordinary session: In order to be assessed in the ordinary session, all the activities subject to assessment must have been completed. The assessable activities must be handed in on the dates indicated by the teaching staff. If an activity subject to assessment has not been handed in or completed, it will be recorded in the minutes as "Not submitted" in the session.
Extraordinary session: The assessment criteria are the same as in the ordinary session, so all the assessment activities considered in the course must be submitted. The grades for the activities completed will be kept, pending the completion of the pending activities. In this assessment, the same weighting criteria will be applied as in the ordinary assessment.
1. Participation and quality of class interventions: The ability to locate philosophical problems in the readings worked on in class will be assessed, as well as the student's skill in offering argued positions on these issues. This aspect of the assessment will have a weight of 20% of the final grade.
2. Essay on a question related to the thought of Leo Strauss: The student's understanding of the chosen question will be assessed, as well as the ability to relate it to other reflections by Strauss himself and other thinkers, as well as the skill shown when taking a critical position on the subject discussed. This aspect of the assessment will have a weight of 40% of the final grade.
The details and delivery date of the activity will be available to students, in eStudy, from the first day of class.
3. Final test of text commentary, theoretical content and reasoned reflection: Reading comprehension, knowledge of the theoretical content studied during the course and the student's ability to analyse a problem and take a reasoned position on it will be assessed, using critically, when necessary, the contributions of other authors. This aspect of the evaluation will have a weight of 40% of the final grade.
The details and date of completion of the activity will be available to students, in eStudy, from the first day of class.
Books by Leo Strauss*:
- STRAUSS, L., The Early Writings (1921-1932). New York: State University of New York Press, 2002.
Spinozas Critique of Religion. New York: Schocken Books, 1982.
Hobbess Critique of Religion and Related Writings. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2011.
Philosophy and Law: Contributions to the Understanding of Maimonides and His Predecessors. New York: State University of New York Press, 1995. [Ed. Or. 1935].
The Political Philosophy of Hobbes. Its Basis and Its Genesis. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1952. [Ed. Or. 1936]
What is Political Philosophy? And Other Studies. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Persecution and the Art of Writing. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1988.
On Tyranny. Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press, 2013 (Or. Ed. 1948)
Natural Right and History. Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press, 1953.
Thoughts on Machiavelli. Glencoe (Illinois): The Free Press, 1958.
On Platos Symposium. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2001. [Ed. Or. 1959].
The City and Man. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1978. [Ed. Or. 1964].
Socrates and Aristophanes. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1966.
Liberalism Ancient and Modern. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1995. [Ed. Or. 1968].
Xenophons Socratic Discourse. An Interpretation of the Oeconomicus. South Bend (Indiana): St. Augustines Press, 1988. [Ed. Or. 1970]
Xenophons Socrates. South Bend (Indiana): St. Augustines Press, 1988. [Ed. Or. 1972].
The Argument and the Action of Platos Laws. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1975.
Studies in Platonic Political Philosophy. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1983.
The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.
STRAUSS, L., SCHOLEM, G., Correspondencia 1933-1973. Valencia: Pre-Textos, 2009.
STRAUSS, L., CROPSEY, J., History of Political Philosophy. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1987.
*For academic articles by Strauss and/or translations of his works into Catalan or Spanish, students can consult their subject professor.
Strauss's texts and correspondence edited by other authors:
YAFFE, M.D., RUDERMAN, R.S. (Eds.) Reorientation: Leo Strauss in the 1930s. New York: MacMillan, 2014.
MEIER, H., Carl Schmitt and Leo Strauss: The Hidden Dialogue. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1995.
EMBERLEY, P., COOPER, B., Faith and Political Philosophy: The Correspondence between Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin, 1934-1964. Columbia and London: University of Missouri Press, 1993.
HART GREEN, K., Leo Strauss on Maimonides: The Complete Writings. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2013.
STRAUSS, L., KENDALL, W., Willmoore KendallLeo Strauss Correspondence a MURLEY, J.A., ALVIS, J.E., Willmoore Kendall. Maverick of American Conservatism. Lanham, Maryland: Lexignton Books, 2002. Pp. 191-262.
GILDIN, H. (Ed), An Introduction to Political Philosophy: Ten Essays by Leo Strauss. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.
Comments on Leo Strauss's work:
BEHNEGAR, N., Leo Strauss, Max Weber, and the Scientific Study of Politics. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2003.
BRAGUE, R., Athens, Jerusalem, Mecca: Leo Strauss Muslim Understanding of Greek Philosophy, Poetics Today, 19 (1998) 2, pp. 235-259.
DRURY, S., The Political Ideas of Leo Strauss: Updated Edition. New York: MacMillan, 2005 (Ed. Or. 1988).
Leo Strauss and the American Right. New York: Saint Martins Press, 1999.
FERRY, L., Filosofía Política I: El derecho: la nueva querella de los antiguos y los modernos. México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1991 (Ed. Or. 1984).
HILB, C., Leo Strauss: El arte de leer. Buenos Aires: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2005.
JANSSENS, D., Between Athens and Jerusalem. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2008.
LAMPERT, L., Leo Strauss and Nietzsche. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1996.
The Enduring Importance of Leo Strauss. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2013.
LURI, G., Erotismo y prudencia: biografía intelectual de Leo Strauss. Encuentro: Madrid, 2012.
MCALLISTER, T.V., Revolt against Modernity. Lawrence, Kansas: The University Press of Kansas, 1995.
MONTSERRAT, J., SALES, J., Introducció a la lectura de Leo Strauss. Barcelona: Barcelonesa dedicions, 1991.