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TheQuestionofModernityMeetstheQuestionofLeoStrauss
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theproblemofmodernityisbeingposedinsuchaninsightfulwaythatshuns
allcategories.Butinwhatsenseisourintimationofmodernity’sinsufficiency
defensible?Itseemsthatweareledtowardthisproblemassoonaswebeginto
graspthesimplefactoflivingintheworldthathascometobealmostunanimous
withregardtoanyrelevantconceptofbestregime.SixteenyearsafterStrauss’s
deaththeliberal-democraticmodelhasbeendeclaredvictoriousandtheideaof
promotingitworldwidehasbeenputonthetopoftheagenda.Thevitalquestion
is,however,whetherliberalismreallypermitsmanydifferentwaysoflifetobe
exercisedwithinit;itmayalsobetruethattheprevalentmodelofsocietyworks
insuchawaythataparticularmodelofcultureisbeingimposedonus,notably
inthefieldofpoliticaldiscourse;themodelthatexcludesfromtheoutsetandin
thelongrunevendestroysmanywaysoflifewhichdonotconformtoit;andthat
arealtensionbetweenhumanbeingsdisappearsinsofarasthereisonlyoneway
ofbeing"correct.”Itisthusclearthatbypointingtotheconcernsinquestionwe
pointtowardsomethingthatgoesbeyondthediscussionabouttheprosandcons
ofliberaldemocracy.Itwouldbepresumptuoustobelievethatthecurrentem-
braceoftheliberal-democraticmodelofculturehasdefinitelysettledthequestion
ofhowtolive.
OneofStrauss’sgreatachievementsiscertainlyconnectedwithhissteadfast
allegiancetothatSocraticquestion.Straussmighthavebeenafraidofmoder-
nity’ssilencingofthisquestion,i.e.,thataproblemofman’sgoodlifewouldno
longerbeapproachedastheproblem.AndiftheHeideggeriannarrativedevelops
thethesisthatthehistoryofWesternmetaphysicsaccountsfortheforgetfulness
ofthequestionofBeing,inStraussmodernityseemstobearresponsibility,to
someextent,notonlyforloweringman’sgoal,butalsofordoingawaywiththe
question,"Howtolive?”Thecompleteoblivionofthisquestionseemstobean
unavoidableconsequenceofthecomingintoexistenceofauniversalandhomog-
enousstate.StrausssawthisclearlyinhisfamousdebatewitharenownedFrench
philosopherandoneoftheEuropean"foundingfathers,”AlexandreKojève.For
inauniversalandhomogenousstatetherewouldbenoplaceforaninquiring
philosophyintheSocraticsense;insuchastatethemosturgentquestionsare
onceandforallabolishedbythefinalwisdomandthewisdomwinsabsolutely
overphilosophy.TheshadowcastbyKojève’svisionofthefulfillmentofhistory
certainlyinformsStrauss’sconcernwiththeconsequencesofmodernity.Moder-
nityconceivedintermsofradicalimmanence,completereconciliationwiththe
world,andoblivionofeternity,seemstoprovideconditionsparticularlyfitfor
athoroughoblivionoftheSocraticquestion.
Ifmodernitythreatenstosilencethemostimportantquestion,itseemsallthe
moreimportanttoshowthatthecontemporaryanswersfallshortofbeingself-
evident.Theimportanceoftheso-calledtheologico-politicalproblembecomes
morecrucialifviewedfromthisperspective.Byconfrontingphilosophyandthe
revealedreligion,i.e.,byjuxtaposingtheirreconcilableclaimsofAthensandJe-
