Natural Right and History by Leo Strauss

1. In 'Natural Right and History', Leo Strauss explores the interplay between natural rights and historical context, arguing that the understanding of natural rights is deeply rooted in philosophical inquiry rather than mere historical coincidence. Strauss contends that while modern philosophy often dismisses the notion of natural rights as a relic of an earlier, pre-modern worldview, it is crucial to recover and rethink these ideas as they pertain to contemporary moral and political landscapes. He meticulously examines the evolution of political thought from classical philosophers like Plato and Aristotle through to modern thinkers, positing that the tension between reason and revelation, as well as the development of individualism and democracy, are pivotal in understanding the concept of natural rights. In this thorough and insightful analysis, Strauss encourages readers to reflect on the significance of nature, reason, and the challenges of historical relativism, ultimately advocating for a reevaluation of the role that natural rights play in guiding ethical governance and human dignity in the modern world.

What is the primary focus of Leo Strauss's 'Natural Right and History'?

A) A defense of religious orthodoxy against scientific progress.
B) An analysis of 20th-century historical methodologies.
C) A history of economic thought from antiquity to the present.
D) The critique of modern political philosophy and the recovery of classical natural right.

2. According to Strauss, what is the fundamental problem of modern political philosophy?

A) Its failure to adequately address climate change.
B) Its focus on individual rights over communal obligations.
C) Its rejection of classical natural right in favor of historicism and positivism.
D) Its reliance on religious dogma for its foundations.

3. What does Strauss identify as the consequence of historicism?

A) Nihilism, or the denial of any objective standard of right.
B) The inevitable progress of human civilization.
C) The unification of all world religions.
D) A more accurate and scientific understanding of history.

4. Which philosopher does Strauss credit with initiating the first crisis of natural right?

A) Immanuel Kant.
B) Thomas Hobbes.
C) John Locke.
D) Karl Marx.

5. What, according to Strauss, is the primary purpose of the political community in classical thought?

A) To ensure complete equality of outcome for all members.
B) To cultivate virtue and facilitate the good life for its citizens.
C) To achieve global hegemony through military power.
D) To maximize individual wealth and material prosperity.

6. Why does Strauss argue that classical natural right is not 'historical'?

A) Because it was invented in the 18th century.
B) Because it only applies to Greek city-states.
C) Because it is based on a permanent and unchanging human nature.
D) Because the ancients had no concept of history.

7. What is the significance of the 'theologico-political problem' for Strauss?

A) It is a minor dispute in medieval theology.
B) It is the fundamental tension between philosophy and revelation that must be addressed.
C) It is the title of a book by John Dewey.
D) It is the problem of separating church and state in the modern era.

8. Which ancient thinker is most central to Strauss's recovery of classical natural right?

A) Lucretius.
B) Plato.
C) Epicurus.
D) Plotinus.

9. What does Strauss identify as a key difference between ancient and modern natural right?

A) Ancient right focuses on duties and the good life, while modern focuses on rights and self-preservation.
B) There is no essential difference between them.
C) Ancient right applied only to citizens, modern right applies to all humans.
D) Ancient right was theological, modern right is scientific.

10. What methodological approach does Strauss employ in reading philosophical texts?

A) Careful exegesis and attention to the author's esoteric meaning.
B) Statistical analysis of word frequency.
C) Deconstruction of the author's logical contradictions.
D) Psychoanalysis of the author's subconscious motives.

11. What does Strauss mean by 'zetetic' philosophy?

A) An experimental form of science.
B) A philosophy based on Zen Buddhism.
C) A philosophy that is seeking or questioning rather than possessing full wisdom.
D) A dogmatic system of beliefs.

12. Why does Strauss believe the classical philosophers wrote esoterically?

A) To encrypt their messages from foreign spies.
B) Because they were confused and unable to express themselves clearly.
C) To protect philosophy from political persecution and to guide potential philosophers.
D) To make their books more popular and sell more copies.

13. How does Strauss view the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

A) As the greatest defender of classical republicanism.
B) As a thinker who contributed to modern historicism and the rejection of classical natural right.
C) As a precursor to libertarian capitalism.
D) As a orthodox Thomist philosopher.

14. What is the 'first philosophy' for the classics, according to Strauss?

A) Economics, as the study of production and consumption.
B) Political philosophy, as it addresses the most important questions for human life.
C) Epistemology, as the theory of knowledge.
D) Physics, as the study of the natural world.

15. What does Strauss argue about the relationship between reason and revelation?

A) Reason can definitively prove revelation is false.
B) Revelation provides the necessary foundations for reason to operate.
C) They are identical and express the same truth in different languages.
D) They are competing and irreconcilable claims to truth, and the conflict is insoluble by human reason.

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