Heidegger, Strauss, and the Premises of Philosophy：On Original Forgetting

nbrilliantfashionVelkleylaysoutareadingofHeideggerandStraussthatacknowledgesthecentralityofthisneglectedconversationtocontemporarypoliticalthinking.Moreover,hemakesacaseforattendingtothedynamicsofthisconversationasaradicalquestioningconcerningtheoriginsofthehumansituationwithinthe‘cave’ofpoliticallife.YetVelkleyalsounderstandsthatthisquestioningisinseparablefromouropennesstotheenigmaticwholeofourontologicalsituationthatgoesbeyondpolitics.Heidegger,Strauss,andthePremisesofPhilosophyoffersafresh,boldapproachtotimelyphilosophicalquestionsanddoessowithequanimityandgrace.”—CharlesBambach,UniversityofTexas,Dallas“Inthisclearlywrittenandcompellingstudy,RichardVelkleynotonlyconciselyclarifiesLeoStrauss’sphilosophicalrelationtoHeidegger,butalsoenactsthecriticalphilosophythatStrausssoughttorevive.InelucidatingStrauss’sconceptionoftheaporiaofancientphilosophy,VelkleyoffersagracefulandnuancedaccountofStrauss’sskepticalattempttoovercomehistoricismandtodojusticetotheparticularityofthephilosopher’squestfortheuniversal.Assuch,thisisanimportantbookforanyoneinterestedinthescopeandmeaningofmodernphilosophy.”—LeoraBatnitzky,PrincetonUniversity“InHeidegger,Strauss,andthePremisesofPhilosophy,RichardVelkleyanalyzesthecrisisofWesternphilosophicaltraditionsinthetwentiethcenturyandthedifferentwaysinwhich,intheirepoch-makingworks,HeideggerandStraussgrappledwithit.Inthispenetratingstudy,VelkleyoffersanoriginalperspectiveonbothHeidegger’scritiqueoftraditionandStrauss’sassessmentofthatcritique.HeexaminesHeidegger’saimtorenewthefundamentalquestionofBeingand,inlightofitsancientGreekorigins,towrestitfromthegripoflaterintellectualtraditions,andhereevaluatesthewidelyheldopinionthatStrauss’sconcernforpoliticalphilosophyentailedaturnawayfromsuchmetaphysicalquestions.Heidegger,Strauss,andthePremisesofPhilosophyprovidesprofoundinsightintotwoseminalthinkersaswellastheproblematicrelationbetweenphilosophyandpoliticalthoughtinourcontemporaryworld.”—JeffreyAndrewBarash,UniversityofPicardie