teoria polityki 5 | 2021 s. 193–203 doi: 10.4467/25440845TP.21.013.13793 www.ejournals.eu/TP
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9277-3662
Alvydas Jokubaitis Vilnius University
Leo Strauss’s “An Epilogue”: Political Science as Political Philosophy Abstract: Leo Strauss’s article “An Epilogue” is made up of many different critical arguments about political science. The guiding principles of these arguments are not revealed clearly enough. One can even get the impression that “An Epilogue” is an unfinished article. Only after finding the guiding principles we can understand the Strauss’s critique. He emphasized the difference between the philosophical and scientific approach to politics. “An Epilogue” shows that he understood political science as philosophy. Keywords: Leo Strauss, political philosophy, political science, philosophy of political science
“An Epilogue” by Leo Strauss is one of the most famous critiques of political science (Strauss, 1995). It is hard to engage in a discussion with the ideas presented in the article because one would have to participate in a series of different discussions. Every argument can become a starting point for a different discussion. This kind of phenomenon is rare not only in the discussions between political scientists and philosophers, but also in the work of Strauss. His style of writing is a presentation of one or a few arguments. According to Allan Bloom, in his polemics Strauss did not intend “to make accusations concerning subversive motives” (Bloom, 1974, p. 375). “An Epilogue” is a refutation of this observation. The article exhibits a pointed critique. One must agree with John H. Shaar and Sheldon S. Wolin, who called Essays on the Scientific Study of Politics “unrelievedly hostile and destructive” (Shaar, Wolin, 1963, p. 126). According to Joseph Cropsey, in “An Epilogue” Strauss was a “sharp critic”. (Cropsey, 1975, p. 133). Straussians called this collection of articles “the hate book” (Norton, 2004, p. 43). “An Epilogue” is one of the most important articles that allows us to understand Strauss’s position on political science. Even the title of the article is an exception. Strauss was fond of simple titles that would point to the most important argument. “An Epilogue” is an article in which the title does not reveal the most important idea. It is hard to understand to whom Strauss is writing an epilogue