Weimar in Amerika

Stephan Steiner presents a historical-biographical study of Leo Strauss in which he investigates the contexts and origins of Strauss's political philosophy. By emphasizing the transformation of Strauss's philosophic position in the USA Steiner not only situates Strauss in the constellations of the Weimar Republic - such as the sociology of knowledge, historicism, and dialectical theology - but shows how he brought a specifically German critique of modernity to America. In order to trace this development in detail, the author reconstructs Strauss's understanding of revelation, his critique of historicism, and the philosophical-historical presuppositions of his view of antiquity. Instead of simply relying on autobiographical statements or the desire for unifying Strauss's thought, Steiner offers an experiential account that renders readable the historical conditions of his political philosophy.