On Tyranny: Corrected and Expanded Edition, Including the Strauss-Kojève CorrespondenceOn Tyranny is Leo Strauss’s classic reading of Xenophon’s dialogue Hiero, or Tyrannicus, in which the tyrant Hiero and the poet Simonides discuss the advantages and disadvantages of exercising tyranny. Included are a translation of the dialogue from its original Greek, a critique of Strauss’s commentary by the French philosopher Alexandre Kojève, and the complete correspondence between the two. This revised and expanded edition introduces important corrections throughout and expands Strauss’s restatement of his position in light of Kojève’s commentary to bring it into conformity with the text as it was originally published in France. |
Common terms and phrases
according action admiration advice Agesilaus Alcibiades Alexandre Kojève Aristotle assertion become believe beneficent best regards character CHICAGO Chicago 37 citizens classical Compare Hiero Compare Plato concerned consider conversation Critias Cyropaedia Cyrus Damascius Dear desire dialogue difference discussion envy fact fatherland fear friends Gorgias happiness Hegel Hellenica hence honor human ibid ideas indictment of tyranny interpretation Isocrates justice kind Kojève's Koyré laws Leo Strauss letter live Machiavelli means Memorabilia IV mentioned modern moral nature noble Oeconomicus Parmenides passage philoso philosopher Plato pleasant pleasure Political Science possible problem Proclus quest question reason recognition Republic rule ruler seems sense Simonides simply Socrates Sophist soul speak speech statesman Stranger Strauss to Kojève subjects suggestion teaching thesis things thought Timaeus tion truth tyrant understand universal and homogeneous UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Vanves virtue whereas wisdom wise write Written in German Xenophon