Leo Strauss: Gerhard Krüger's review of Strauss' Religionskritik Spinozas [1930-1]

:--

,I

,

1< lti.\' c.~(I ,

o.b \.. l;

s/lI:..ua a)) .... oJ> 6~ .,;... ;.~ ,W ' ..~I 6-"173I h"9" I rf . _ I ~t ril.;'J Lt '... ~ .... ~' ~_1:::: " . ..w !!l .. ..-0

G. e: ~ tl.1IltO,'" R~

Voi.J~ C I~81/1td.,...d ..'kN_ oIP'd"'1Cf'IoY

~

~ tA cw.O·

0.., w..'~ ~ Il.JJlt.1J

l REVIEW O F LEO ST RAUSS' DIE RELlGIONSKRITlK S PiN OZ A S A L S GR UND LAG E SEINER BIBELW fSSEN SCHA F ?

a'"

/'1 _

l

'I .I

S- /1 'i

G ERH A R D K R OGER

'I'M /o/lqwi", il Q frQ7LfItz1io1f 0/ Q ,ro~ ~~ Krii,ero/lAJ S""",,'/lnt book. Spinau.',CrltiqJe of Religion (/ 930}.' TM 1YVI_. a >lQltwOTfhy aal1tplc of 1M iITt, discu..... tM lhmln 0/ ,hi• ..."k in" ....1IIItJ" oo/h /llcJd ,,1Id .ymp'lIhuic y tt nol wit/rout" cerN tlf criliall dl,tann, The imporrllnce to Stnlu.. oJ tid, ~ WIU tmphIJ'ized in Iitt prefocc writt en In 1965 {or 1M PMlk«l K~ ~ _ I_a DIU which "u prmm my intention a'ld muir"""" clmrly tha" 1 my wI!IuId done. ·.. 1" IIrt ..."" con/ext. Irt adltd a/teoIio" to , Itt /mpQt1IJnN "I Iri' ~ tin with K rligu . tin bl·politictJl problem hal , emtJill«l Ihe themt of my ' .....'lIgolion' .. . Ince INtI rime. (£ mp","u in Ihe original ! Thi. UTW!IUOUy {tunk ,ntlQ,k fo lio.... on ob
"""*

to'

'O ,

and rai'l'd In Gmnony who fou nd hi"""lf In rhe grip of the Ihtoiofical.poUl ini prohIml. It;u book whkh ob.loully addu~a a {undtmrenlal pon of thlll probhm o. it p,nent' Itstlfill modem tllooKh I. But tM """k of KIJr I &rt h b al'O port of 1M Iheologicol ~"",ken'ng. M obS6> td. It moy be surmlJed INtI St=J& did not Ihlnk 1M IMoiog/t:ltl-pohtical problem ~hJli>dy JrwiJh IIOf exc/u~1y Gcmon; it "",y IIaH befc~ once ogoin 0 prob~ for Olhfr foil lu and countrln and for all who o nce co nfidently exp«r<'!d tl.>t N ligioll """'Id witltD ~y in th e modem and «<. of th e e<mnponding p<:ge or Pllta of Ihe EngIi,h ",,""'No,. ThaI ""..... /ion. bye. M. Slnclttlr. wo, p"b1I
"""e

In this learned . • ~i.ll iz.d hi.torieal ;n.... tigatioll. there '" co ncealed . fundamo nul phUooophk di«:uuion nf tho probl<m of 1M Elllighlm"",m, Thi' ' ludy i> a, iMtrue l i.... for Ih. philosopher and the theologian .. for the '''PcM on Spino ZllJld lho ru. lorian of JOnle,g..chich te] . If, for Ute phi!ooopher. l here mU st be no Uu ng wbich is ..... If..vid.nt". then WI i<...lid all<> for the Enlight . \ .nmenl. wl\idt form . l ho ;ntelk<:tual fo undation of modem culture . A. its nlmO [Aufklarungj indicates. it under· stood l!$elf _ntial1y a. tho ' ·. XlI of man ftom /tit. .. If..,,,.u..d Immatu rity" (Kant). tltat is, .. critique of ......aled toligion. In Iraci"8 oul Ibi. long-forgoll.n a rgumenl , S traws bring< to lighl ho w ....ry p , oblemalic even lho argumenlltivo •...fu!:llion" of reveal.d religion remaine d, ho w much Ih. fQt lh in contribut.d to helpi"8 ocicnao 10 vict ory . Str .u.. ptO«<'d ' wil h I remar kable imp art iality from the " ac hing' of the otitic< back to thoi'

ocie"".

• I ra.... 1e Sro S""u,". 'fur,,,,,"' '0 I/o~"'" I'o bfffClf< "'....""'/uft , I....., Do",1eI J. lo....tz./nt<rpf...'fo n. Vol, '" No. I (l. nu»y.

19791.p.2 , • Ibid.. p. 2 ""'- p, J. nol . 2 · Ibltl .. p.t . '''''''fa<:> to 10< EnPfi't 1 •.",l>t ;""" . in: Spinozo~ 0;""", of RI. "".... E. 1<1. Sinj oo or ' lW poco R- - ., v"'. VIII (hD. 1918) , p. I ft, Abo: Leo S'rauU, •.,.". Mu..... Inn..."", of n-loc Phil<»Oplly ." ......ty pub li$hed in Et1Il ish in n.. lod'. O 'y Unlvonity of _ V""= , 1961\.

• s.. ....

_.to:

h""".

I,.,".. (\

'I H A ~ "

,

'"

'"dep.-nd~"1 Joumt>J of /'hllolOpIr"

<"",..table "",'I',," , which denne tho 'P"clflo and lultorical ,lnIClure of lhoi.
mol....

.,,,,gII,

inlG .he opta. motio"' .... ith

.un ore krdkJenti.al todIy, he is able 10 _all

!he hlslOriccll. W1la1ity ollhio

M

""""''Y ,

II ..... be... luoown si..,. DilI/ley lIln . in lho (onnalion of 1l>t ' "Juolu ralll)'1ten1 In Ihe _"_Ih IIw be 10 Ibo $ "", p1a)'ftl an importan t 1010. St...... clabonteS.... lhi:I picture, in po" n yi llw enl. "' . . Ii ill Ilw .......«< nlh """ lUry .. I ""'" ill "" _till twIG')' cill>e etilique of tel;p. ..,...r (p. 2; 35) ; fro Donl..,.;ritld thtou&b Epial rus, Hobbn. SpiDoza and H..... 10 ~Tbacb andW"'" 1boR..1Im4I _1nol~ IiOOl ......... d&uicoil reprnealltnoe . ~_( p_ Ilf;.51). "1'he Epicu'. ... cntiq .. ofnlipon II _ce, """ inllccd Ifw _ important ....., r"" lhe _ ........111 "",no!)" critique of '~~ (p. • ; )3); IDf1ooeaor 01 Epal.... , . " Ira« cquoI k> tho 1Illlucn<:e of tho SIOII ,M a11l1oou1h it ,.... IDIidI ... DOl I """" _ . . , . .of 1l>t lCI<:tIirlI _ ., he l:M all • Inllh ..tldl btiolP - . . . .. »{I" " '. and " ntanl ill tho oecurily"'" in tho: ....leninl of hf. moy be ~ 1lled>uxltBut iIl,"~ of tho EaliCh_nl in JftI c.al- ( p. 199. 209) . TIUl. ' '£picu,""n '''''''M is ill ltoelf ".......... ~ 1Io d,ff~' posabdllits for safisCacbon - Motts loImdolooolul ~ed ialmonalit:y""""roninl- ..... bl lho M..... do C-.. It Ihtarmtd " non (I'. 28f; 511-9) ; bu l in Ihe """ it is 00-, Ihe ............, """""_~ mosl lhoroupdy .. t;.fle< Ihe inte""t in 1",1lI • tho .'con bu ill'· (I'. 29; 60)_ Iu . " udy ill tho c:a< 01 Epicu"" and lMc.. t'" (I'. l or;HO. tbo;- < P<JUII<4 of the"""""'y of .... l1ph)'1i<.ol syll'"" (p . 121 ~ 14Ol. MlOdl _ off«I'" and hiotoricllly _ lhe " pou_ cnliquoc: ' -..+rid> _ _ nllbou l the "'poosibilityM of miradts but eon...~ in thI lIIe t~ty of !he mlf1dt c. .plain the/ftl" in lrlindn. "Ii....... _ _ ~ 0I'hid> ...- " il>d f as incIpIble of allplPllnL io Iobn ....1 as JI'I'I'Idtfor r.. 1lt bu. fOf *opbC:ll ~ of iuclcmtnl (I'. 10, 03 ). And tiIw;2 mirMdoes belooIa abme all to 1bI past. it io our to •.IlIrloou I' thr ..... _ of ,.. fllndomom11l A1penor; ty the N_I~ in the .. 0.. of the bIrl>Inc ( p. 117; US). ' 'Pooilioa cnonly as tkfouioe ( I'. 121 ; 14S) . That is. il io ' _ .triol/y ..If..-.lderlt. M lle l;p:. ao:a.on Ihe ••1'10< o f obJIinacy and of fli&/It flOnl • , ldical ",fleclioa on hio A1Wll:ien<:J ; cntiqLle caaoo t .. f~ .. the d ..... 10 .~thonty in prio
"'''**ri:>ft.

I

,imes-

'*'0I'Itd"

"""" ,,""'t....,. ou, "0

II

t....··

'"

Hr ".. . IJ,

with 11 M ( p. 164; 179). The fundamenllll Epicuru o O"",, 1I11on reoo;"'1 in modernity • .se.:IoM mod,f.. "1T~ Colll_ Ill tht p • ..,llistiPt raol oi , MdoJrnolic MrcliliOft ich In .......... willl iii rlrt;Jli,hl IrI Ihf twdtr of iii.. (~ 1 .1tiI r~. The Jltugle .it no 100Fr apinol: the mad ....tId> ill ' 'fearful'' oaJy to !he indiYidu.al but abo . - u.. 10 M'b from tho people (pp.1 81' .• 3O. 2I'Xlr. _ 216. 2IS ;SOf. 61 , 2ll9f. 22 4~ Ah.houJh r.. thillast ronaull_ ~ .,... .o..Irtady r.mihu Iftd",....,.. ......... 1M ..~. $tn.... riptly r...s. heft -1hinI ""'" tho """"" of ft\'Uled relipH. COGuinI quit. I d iIJ...,nt rntrictX>tI '" tltowPt withia !be............rty tIwI rio 10 be prol&CItd from !he many by the """'"tioll~ of relipool.. aDd by the pnior '" __ l~ • ..tIidl &1rudy. " MadoiIoelli ud 1lnuIo , usem tho ......-U ofN".. mdIc(p. 13lT;4311). n.. .......

lion

tht diIJormQ' btl lharpMa · Sua.... tho..... on COItCnlO

( ~ aboul

...oom. ond. - "1 l/loIchl ..-noes ..... for..,.

..

"e~tiaI..

much ."" ItIoCJCkm Md """",ion of .... thod. of cullure" ( p. ~ ; 7 1) ill IIiIl<>rnI " " titJotIiU hlt i.. an unp,,, ble n' P ' ''' life-dtcisiofl oppooed to 1M' PO" .....ich bolir«!ooe.l analyset "';lhill whli:h thiI funclamo"t&I p rob\e""'lic 1;0"," 10 light lead ( toni Ep;t\on.. nul to ........ pocunon of Spino..', criliqut of req;on: da COlli, La "')'lifO , and Hob bea. Th. proof of I d.pon« (cf. p. 222ff; 229ft) . 110.... one to that, in .olatio n to Spinou·, ,rill c!usial COll<:Opt of hOl'J'inc.. , ho il tho mon modem and mOle rad;"'] . In Spino..' , n,..,/oricl1i-p<Jlitica/ 1,.,,/1•• itH lf, Strauss IInCO""" I th. oe·fold " Iume nt: I . wllh tho orIllodoxy (JowiJlt and Chri'tian) which i1 plainly $I;opllcal in ~p,d to ,..101I; 2. with lhal ochola'ti. cism of M.i"",niJ.. which_ fCCOl"itu rouon; Ind 3...;th arMn , in ..hom the failh_ bllil_~of or-_...,. thodoxy ftnt...... 0 H , . . r ' ,,".

l

boco..... qwtc radically _ ble, (In '<1ard to thi, Iut point . St ha. , in my opimon .~ml' .'''-his 0-,:,"11 ptneoIUl.ioI\ of the bllis in fl ith: OIl .,.lb in OIl it is that CII..-in me ,... ~ teacNns . boYt God IOlely by "'Po<w.~ it is how<-Yer de .. in the flnt ~" of his b"n",,;,, lhat the prob~ of knowIed# of God " ."""""'" to

.all OIl I ..... tum .. problelll_ BUI in tbe tooteal of his comparioofl , Strauss hill< iadoed upon the .... lIli1! t ) Clilique (of "'ocripturo") 0<1 , '" " ' - of ....son is carefully VplIlted from I Iftlimirwy sup, "'aiticlue 011 the basit of lCrip.u re~: by . loushl 0( tho ~tH1l.th and ."tttnth an",ti.. that it d;d 1101.....p1y drop the IJ>eo. IoP:al problemltl< of ,he pill bu•. 1»' """;1lJ it ........ pound. flnl in. roduc<-d it> ot ropby - ofl.... con,",ty 10 ill 0.... . xpteUluon.. The ,,".rpr.'"1Ofl of tho cnliclI mou ltll 0( Spina.. i. compI. ..d by in¥OIlipl ioIUbIe'" in ....ny ICIltlerod pIacn insleo full cotnpUl. The """"' IleedI • tIICW trulparent "'"""""'"'" of tho ..1lole and I more pon:ep(ible Ot'Jl'liulion ill ;"dmd porta . Tho ..... yg 01 teIip>rl by IIoI>be:s and Spinou aIolll; with the -tIIf'IJ'yin,c leachinp I boYl the . .~ d certainly be bet,"" Ittadaed 10 the fnl ~ PhI

~ lite . I ble of con' would ... ry t1IlIdl factl,ll " tho read if they . .", sliD ...,..e de wlod and ondI
m.

••

~.

:r '"