Cicero's Focus

Abstract

T HE QUESTION OF THE BEST POLITICAL ORDER is commonly and properly thought be at very center of inquiry known as political philosophy. Its presence is revealed both in efforts at utopian construction and in searches for incontrovertible, if a priori, principles of justice. That same of best regime can be found close surface and thus capable of arising in ordinary political disputes and discourse among thoughtful citizens. Leo Strauss, in his interpretative work on classical political philosophers, has emphasized citizen perspective as mark of their approach and initial horizon; he has closely connected that perspective of best regime, central or guiding question of classical political philosophy. Strauss wrote that was its direct relation political life which determined orientation and scope of classical political philosophy.' This meant that the primary questions of classical political philosophy and the terms in which it stated them were not specifically philosophic or scientific; rather, were questions that are raised in assemblies, councils, clubs and cabinets, and they were stated in terms intelligible and familiar at least all sane adults, from everyday experience and everyday usage.2 These questions and terms are entailed in actual political controversies; such questions are group should rule, or what compromise would be best solution -that is say, what political order would be best order. Strauss conceded that though concern of actual controversies is the best political order for given political community,... every answer that immediate implies an answer universal of best political order as such, and thus Strauss spoke of the natural tendency of political controversy to express itself in universal terms.3