Leo Strauss’s Theory on Tyranny: Ancient and Modern
by Reimon Sakai
DATE: March 10th, Friday, 2023
TIME: 2:30pm, Hawai’i Standard Time
LOCATION: Sakamaki Hall, C-308
This talk deals with the theory on tyranny by Leo Strauss (1899-1973), the German American scholar who was one of the leading political philosophers of the 20th century. His disciples are called the Straussians, and they are influential not only in America but all over the world.
Referring to On Tyranny, we will examine the modes of existence of tyranny through the discussions by Xenophon, Strauss and Kojève that tried to determine the essence of tyranny. After clarifying the forms of tyranny both in ancient and modern times, whether Strauss’s arguments are still valid today will be considered carefully.
Dr. Reimon Sakai
Dr. Sakai received his PhD from Kyoto University, Japan. He specializes in political philosophy. His publications include his monograph Atheism and the State: For Kojève’s Political Philosophy (Nakanishiya Publisher, 2017) and other journal articles such as “The Strauss-Kojève Debate around Virtue and Honor: Classic or Modern?” (2018) and “The Theories of Kojève and Fessard regarding Authority based on its Relations to the Common Good” (2022). He currently holds a postdoctoral position at Kobe University while teaching at Kyoto University and other institutions in Japan.