The Review of Politics· 2026Q2
“M. and the USA”: The Political Teaching of Leo Strauss’s Thoughts on Machiavelli
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- 2026year
Short summary
Leo Strauss's "Thoughts on Machiavelli" aimed to persuade American conservatives to adopt a muscular foreign policy, advocating for US support of Western outposts and emphasizing the necessity of strong leadership and propaganda for statecraft.
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Key points
- Leo Strauss's "Thoughts on Machiavelli" sought to influence American conservatives towards a proactive foreign policy.
- Strauss blamed Kant's philosophy for the rise of Nazism and communism.
- Key political lessons include the necessity of choosing among evils, the role of strong leaders, and the utility of propaganda.
- Strauss aimed to shape US policy on Israel, Cuba, and Vietnam.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Scholars have read Leo Strauss’s Thoughts on Machiavelli (1958) as a theological-political treatise that offers timeless truths about politics. This article argues that it also aimed to convince American conservatives to embrace a muscular foreign policy. Strauss’s correspondence and seminar transcripts reveal that he wanted the United States to support embattled outposts of Western civilization and blamed Kant’s philosophy of history for enabling the rise of Nazism and communism. Thoughts on Machiavelli teaches American elites that politics often involves a choice among evils, strong leaders are necessary to found states, democracies are better than dictatorships at maintaining states, and propaganda can mobilize a multitude to join one’s army. The article shows that Strauss wanted to influence US policy regarding the State of Israel, Cuba, and Vietnam and deserves his reputation as the founder of neoconservatism.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Review of Politics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Philosophy
PhilosophyArts and Humanities