The shadow of God

About this book

This dissertation investigates the intellectual origins of Leo Strauss' account of the "theologico-political problem". I articulate the problem as a syndrome of questions concerning the sources of normativity, the epistemic status of morality, and the ideological requirements of a stable society. In addition to these philosophical puzzles, I argue that the theologico-political problem implies a pessimistic alternative to grand narratives of secularization. For Strauss, the term "theologico-political problem" is shorthand for a claim that secular regimes lack authoritative normative foundations, and are therefore likely to oscillate dangerously between anarchy and tyranny. I locate the origins of Strauss' account in late 18 th Century debates surrounding the reception of Spinoza in Germany. The key figure in these debates was the novelist and philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. I argue that Jacobi was a significant and continuing influence on Strauss throughout his career. Both Strauss and Jacobi were reactive thinkers who presented their views in interpretations of other authors. As such, their ideas cannot be understood without consideration of their interlocutors. The dissertation thus includes chapters on Spinoza and early German Idealism. These chapters examine the optimistic view, rejected by Jacobi and Strauss, that a distinctively modem form of philosophy could limit man's reliance on theologized norms, at least for political purposes. The dissertation is partly an essay in a neglected branch of intellectual history, but the historical arguments have a normative and political payoff. I argue that Strauss' conception of the theologico-political problem is tied to a specific set of assumptions about the capacity and function of reason. These assumptions are rooted in the Kantian enlightenment, and only dubiously applicable to modem democracy as it actually developed. I therefore conclude by presenting some reasons to hope that we can partly overcome the theologico-political problem.