From Leo Strauss to collapse theory: considering the neoconservative attack on modernity and the work of education

Abstract

This paper locates the work of Leo Strauss within the broader conservative assault on modernity and especially its roots in liberalism. Four themes from Strauss's work are identified, then hermeneutically engaged for their relevance to educational practice in global times. The four themes are: (1) the liberal/modern concept of an open society is essentially nihilistic and cannot protect ‘particularities’ from assimilation and encroachment; (2) the cosmopolitanism of modernity is inherently totalitarian, leading to a culture of management; (3) philosophy as the practice of persuasion has its limits, beyond which the practical necessities of life require the use of force; and (4) the reasons most vigorously offered in public for certain actions need not be the actual reasons.