Chapter
The West Coast and East Coast Straussian Divide
28:28 - 35:36 (07:08)
This podcast explores the divide between East and West Coast Straussians: the East Coast factions which accepted the American founding, versus the West Coast faction which fervently believed America to be the culmination of Western civilization.
Clips
Leo Strauss and Harry Jaffa taught political philosophy with an emphasis on classics in a free, self-governing society, and believed the Declaration of Independence drew upon both natural right and Christian moral teachings.
28:28 - 30:40 (02:12)
Summary
Leo Strauss and Harry Jaffa taught political philosophy with an emphasis on classics in a free, self-governing society, and believed the Declaration of Independence drew upon both natural right and Christian moral teachings. They also believed in extremism in the defense of liberty and moderation in the pursuit of justice.
ChapterThe West Coast and East Coast Straussian Divide
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘How the Claremont Institute Became a Nerve Center of the American Right’
PodcastThe Daily
The East Coast Straussians believed that the American Founding was a solid but uninspired enabling force for the pursuit of the good life, while the West Coast faction fervently believed that America was the culmination of Western civilization.
30:40 - 35:36 (04:56)
Summary
The East Coast Straussians believed that the American Founding was a solid but uninspired enabling force for the pursuit of the good life, while the West Coast faction fervently believed that America was the culmination of Western civilization. Professor Jaffa was known for his unwavering views and his tendency to pick fights with other conservative intellectuals.