Investigation Of Straussian Hermeneutics

Leo Strauss is a pre-eminent thinker who effects our thoughts deeply, he devotes all of his life to prevent 'Western civilization from abandoning life', and takes pains in finding a way out of modern crises. Stauss claims to return from modernity to classics, ie., the begining of philosophy, while his return is not an oversimplified one. He wants to start from modern problems, seek the roots of 'Natural Right' through reading classical texts, avoiding politizing of philosophy and philosophizing of politics, escaping abusement of philosophy.Straussian hermeneutics proceeds with literary forms, then follows with close reading between the lines to get its esoteric meaning, aims at understanding the author as he does to himself. Straussian hermeneutics pays much attention to literal form of the text, insisting to begin with literal form, while he never contents with it, on the contrary, he thinks that there is a close relativity between literal problems and social problems.Straussian hermeneutics is not a general theory of interpretation, it claims that there should be different hermeneutical methods to different text, different author, and different work. Strauss reveals and recovers "esoteric" writing skill in ancient texts, which has been recognized in different degree. Straussian hermeneutical method corrected those contemporary hermeneutical methods which always over-simplifies the author's intention.Straussian achievement in hermeneutics forms a sharp contradiction with contemporary indulgency in self-admiration, because he treats the texts carefully, attentively listens to the teaching of the authors. Strauss has much to teach literal critics in the essence of interpretation, and his hermeneutics has had great influence in it, some literal critics begin to adopt or accept his method.Straussian hermeneutics has also had deep influence on his direct diciple and third generation, The History of Political Philosophy by Strauss and his students has successfully washed out the former popular A History of Political Theory by G. H. Sabine. Thereupon Classics gradually flourishes in the University of Chicago, and spreads all over the world.