Leo Strauss And The Politics Of American Empire

This provocative book examines the teachings of political theorist Leo Strauss and the ways in which they have been appropriated, or misappropriated, by senior policymakers.

The teachings of political theorist Leo Strauss (18991;1973) have recently received new attention, as political observers have become aware of the influence Strauss7;s students have had in shaping conservative agendas of the Bush administration2;including the war on Iraq. This provocative book examines Strauss7;s ideas and the ways in which they have been appropriated, or misappropriated, by senior policymakers.

Anne Norton, a political theorist trained by some of Strauss7;s most famous students, is well equipped to write on Strauss and Straussians. She tells three interwoven narratives: the story of Leo Strauss, a Jewish German-born emigre, who carried European philosophy into a new world; the story of the philosophic lineage that came from Leo Strauss; and the story of how America has been made a moral battleground by the likes of Paul Wolfowitz, Leon Kass, Carnes Lord, and Irving Kristol2;Straussian conservatives committed to an American imperialism they believe will usher in a new world order.