On Tyranny (Revised and Expanded Edition, Including the Strauss-Kojeve Correspondence)

351 Pages·2000·6.176 MB·English

by  Leo Strauss, Victor Gourevitch (Ed.), Michael S. Roth (Ed.)

OnT yranny
/' :
LeoS trauss AlexandreK ojeve
ON TYRANNY
LeoS trauss
-REviSAENDD E xPANDEEDDI TION
Includtih11!JStrause s-Kofeve Corre spondenc e
Editebdy V ictGooru revitch
andM icaheSl.Ro th
THE UNIVERSITOYF CHICAGO PRESS
ChicaagnoLod n don
UniveorsfCi hitcyaP groe Cshsi,c 6a0g6o3 7
© 196119,9 210,0b 0yt hEes taotfLee o S trauss
Allri ghrtse served.
Prinittneh Uden itSetdao tAfem se rica
09 080 70 60 504 030 20 10 0 1 24 5 3
LibraorfCy o ngrCeastsa loging-iDna�tPau blication
StraussLe,o .
Ontyran ny ILe oS trauss.a. n-edRexp vaneddei.dn, c ltuhdSeitr nagu ss-Kojeve
correspIoe nddiebtnyVec idec Gtoourr eavniMdti cchhS aR.eo lt h.
pc.m.
Inclbuidbelsi ogrraepfheiraceniandnlc d eesx es.
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l.X enopHhioenr.o2 n.K. o jeAvlee,x an1d9r0e2,- 1T9yr6a8nan.nd yw isdo3m..
KojevAel,e xa1n9d0r2e-,1 968-Corr4e.Ss trapuosLnsed,oe -nCcoer.r esp5o.n dence.
Polisctiiceanlc e-Phi6l.Do essoppohtiIys.K.m o .j eAvlee,x a1n9d0r2e-,1 I9I6.8 .
GoureVviicttcIohIr,RI. o. t Mhi,c hSa.1e,9l 57IV-. Title.
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@Thpea puesrei dthn i psu blimceaetittohsmne i nimruemqe umiernotfts hA em erNiactiaonn al
StanfdoaIrrn df ormSactiieonPnce ersm-anoefPn acpfeeo rr PLriibnrMtaaertdye rials,
ANSZI3 9.48-1992.
Contents
PREFAACNED A cKNOWLEDGMENTs vu
INTRO DUCTI ON lX
IO. nT yranny 1
Xerwphun:H ieroorT yrannicus3
Leo StraussO:n T yranny 22
NotetsoO n Tyranny 106
IIT.h Setr aussD-eKboajte1ev3 e3
Alexandre Kojeve:T yrannayn dW isdom 135
Leo StrausRess:t atemeonnXt e npohon' Hs iero 177
IITIh.Se t raussC-oKorrjeevsep ond2e1n3c e
Letters 217
EditorNioatle s 315
NAMEIN DEX 327
SUBJEICfN DEX 333
Prefaacned
Acknowledgments
OnT yrayn)nLe oS trauscsr'isti_cs atlu doyf X enophonH'ise ro)
was fpirusbtl isihn1e d9 4A8F .r encehd itiaopnp earine 1d95 4w,h ich,
ina ddititoonS trausosr'isg isntauld iyn,c ludaFe rde ncvhe rsiooftn h e
Hiears oli)gh teldyi tveedr sioofAn l exanKdorjee vei'msp ortraenvti ew
ofS traussst'usda yn,d a "RestatembeynS tt"r autshsab tr ierfelpyl ies
toa r eviebwyP rofesEsroirVc o egelainndg oeosn t oc halleKnog­e
jever'esv ipeowi nbtyp oinAt v.o lumceo ntaineisnsge nttihaesl almye
textasp pearienEd n gliisnh1 96W3e. a reh apptyo b ea blteo b ring
outa n ewe ditiooftn h inso wc lasvsoilcu meen,l argbeytd h eful ls ur­
vivingc orrespeonncdbee tween StraanudKs osj eve.
We havteak ent heo pportupnriotvyi dbeytd h irse -publictaoti on
correvcatr ioeursr oirnst hee arlier edaintidto onr ,e vitsheet ransla­
tionsW.e are partiuclarlgyr atetfuoPl r ofesSseotrBh e nardeftoheri s
carerfule vioefwt het ranslaotfti hoeHn i eTrhoee .a rlvieerrs ioofnK o­
jeve"'Tsyr annayn dW isdom"r equirseudce hx tensrievvei sitohnast,
wef oarl iln tenatnsdp urposerse -transliatt.e d
We havree stotrheied m portcaonntc ludinpgar agrapohf S trauss's
"Restatemewnhti"c ahp peeadri nt heo riginFarle ncehdi tionb utw as
omittfreodm thes ubsequAemnetri caend itiUonnf.o rtunawteed liyd
notf mda c opoyf S trauEsnsg'liss -hlanguoargiegi naanld,w et herefore
hadt ot ransltahtepe u blisFhreedn cthr anslaotfthi aotnp aragraph.
Ino urI ntroducwteic ohno steoc oncentornath tee i ssureasi sed
int het extths aatr ei ncludienthd e presevnotl umaen,d i np articular
ont hed ebatbee tweeStnr auasnsdK ojevRee.a deirnst ereisntt ehde
broadceorn teoxftt hadte batwilel findi td iscusmsoerde ful lyi n
VictoGro urevit"cPhh,i losoapnhdPy o litiIc-s1,1"Th, e R evioefw
Metapihcy1ss96,8 , 58-48,2 81-238a;n di n" TheP robleomf
32:
NaturRailg hatn dt hFeu ndamenAtlatle rnaitniN vaetsu rRaiglha tn d
HisrY,t"oi nTh eC riosfLi isb eDreamloa cycK,r. D eutsacnhd W .S offer
eds.S,U NY Press1,98 7p,p .3 0-4as7 w;e lals i nM ichaReolt h's
Knuiwgna nHdist oyrAp:p ropriatofiHoe.tJneislnTw enetitChe nytF urnrace
(C orne1ll98)8an di n" ThPer obleomf RecognitiAolne:xn adrKeo jeve
;
andt heE ndo fHistyo,rH" isrtyao nThde oyr,1 98254,2:9 33-06.
We hav_eb eerne lucttaocn otm eb etwetehner eadaenrd ttheex ts,
Vll
PrefaancAdec knowledgments
vm
anhda ve torhkeee rpeetdf itionrtiraults oim oiann si m.uU mnleostsh ­
erwiisned ictahteaeyrdp e,l acbeedt weweend ge-br<a >ck.e ts:
MichRaoetlfh ou ndt hSet ralueststa emrosnK go ejvep'asp eirns
thceo urosfre e sefaorrh ciKhs n woigna nHdi styoK.ro ejves'usr viving
lettteoSr tsr aaurspesr eseirntv heSedt raAurscsh oiftv heUe n iversity
ofC hicaLgibor Waer yw.i tsoth h aNninka I vafn,Ko ofejvel'esg atee,
forp ermistsopi uobnl tihsSehtr aulsest ,t eraPsnrdeo sfsJoors eph
CroepysE,x ecuotfto hrLe i teErsatraoyt fe L Setor a,au sws esl�lst he
UniverosfCi htiyc Aargcohe isfv,or permispsuiboltnih sKetho oe j ve
let.tW eera sre garlastote ofu lL aunrceBee rfunrsp lactihnpegh o­
Mr.
togroafpS ht raautos usdr i spaonstdao Nl inIav afnf oorfp lactihneg
photogorfKa opejhv aeto udri sp.o sal
VictGooru revtirtacnhbs ecdtr,rin aslataendda, n notattheed
Corresponadnedn wctreho,Pet r eae tfoNroyt teo Wietc .o llaborated
ont hIen troduction.
V.G.M,. S.R.
Jun1e99 0
Prefatcote h eU niversity
ofC hicaEgdoi tion
We welcotmheio sp porttuon itryet shtaeoc rken loewdgment
(uonrftunoamtietlfrtyo emdt hfier sptri ntinogft) h efo retofsfJ enny
StraCulysa,Gs e orEglel Tiucokte Sru,z anKlneeia nn,Hd e inrMiecihe r
int heea rsltya ogfet sr anscSrtairubsilsne'gts ,t a enrodsf t hhee lHpe r:­
berAt.A rnoalndKd r ishRn.Wa i nstgoanvu es rienvi ewipnogr tions
oft he traonfst lhcaeoti rorne spondence.
Wea rpel eatsohe adv bee eanb lteor esttohrceeo nclupdairnag­
graopfhS trsasu"'Rse statemheewn rto"it teL. a ureBnecrevn esr y
as
kindpllya cheicdso poyft hEen gloirsihg aiton uadrli sposal.
Weh avceo rretchtteey dp ograeprhriotcrhasavil tg ilraenatd ers
wergeo od entoopu ogihon utta ,nh da vber ousgohmtoe ft heed ito­
rinaolt uepst od ate.
V.G.M,. S.R.
Introduction
-·... ....
Ovetrh lea dsetc atdhee hraebs e eanl ivdeelbya atbeo utth e
natuorfme o dneirtCya.ni b te t hawteh avpea ssfreodma m odetroan
post-moadgeeAnr?dn ,i wf eh avmea dteh tirsa nshiotwic oanwn,e
evalutahtheei sttohrahyta lse tdo i tO?r i si tt hcea steh a.tt he
transiismt airoknbe ydo _u irn abitlomi atkyse u cehv aluaTthiiosn s?
newe ditoifo nT yranynr ectawloel asr ploiseirt aiboonmusot d ern­
On
ittyh:o osfLe e oSt raaunsAdsl exaKnodjreeIv nte h.e dierb aatbeo ut
tyran,na yndi nt heciorer srpondweens ceeae,r ticutlhfuaent dead­
mentaallt ernraetgiavrtedhsipe no gs siabnitdlh irete ys ponsoifb ilities
philosnoopwh.y
Thed ebate btehteiwmsme o esnut n usuIatrl a.n gfreosmc om­
paratsiuvpeielcryipf aoll iticalt odb iaffseirce ndciesasab goruete ments
frisptr inciApsal r eusl.we h,e dni gsraeemiestn htid se eapn dt his
passiotnhaeitrlseei , ts telreid oiussc u.sH seirtoehn,pe a rtdieessti'or e
understthaiens ds iusge sr eattheatrnh eaitrt achtmote hneti r own
poistiTohna.it os n -ree aswohnyt hesyt attheep iors itsioro andsi cally.
Thekyno wp ertflewyce ll ftohtrah te, mpoasrittti , ns o ste nstiob le
redutchepe h iolpohsiocrta hlpe o liatlitcearln taoot niltvywe osB. u t
theex erdcoiehssee lt pob ritnhgie s siunetcsor ifsopc us.
Thea dvanetsi anpg resetnhteivsnaegr iroeulsat teextdto sg ether
aroeb vioTuhsem. a jor drina dwobiasncogki sp erhlaepissms m e­
diately abpyb peairnmegan dtpe:a rotfa l arger Swthroalues,s 's
originTayraln ynb ecomdeiiffsc utlost e oeni tosw nt ermYsei.tit s
On
wortthhe eff ortT.yra nynis ac lorseea doifXn egn ophsohno'rst
On
dialobgeutew eHeiner toy,r aofnS ty racaunsSdei ,m onitdhewiess ,e
IX
Introduction
x
poeatb,o utthb eu rdeonfts y raannndy about bhuorwd etnhse se
mighbtel ightSetnreadwu.as sas n e xemprleaearrdyH. e r eawdi th
respaencadt no pemni nd. Bheerc eaauidsno e r dteolr eahrenr ,e ad
critiBcuatnl oltyh.wi ansgm orael iteonh imt hatnou stee xatss
pretfeoxdrti ss psol fah yiosw ni ngenuiTtyrayn.y nw ash ifsrsi t
On
publifuslhle-dtl hae nnagloyfas s iisn cgllaes wsoircakan,lid rt e mains
thmeo satc cseisbolfhe i csl orsedeai nIgsts. e efmtist itnhgai stth ould
havbee edne votteoad d ialoHgeuv ee.rr ye asonaasbsluymt ehsat
carewfurli tcehrosot shefe o rimnw hicthh epyr estehnetti hro ught,
antdh atthd ei ffebreetnwcaeedi e anl oganuadet reaittsih seer eoffo re
philosiompphoiArcct c.do irnghleay t,t -aenscd lso steoal di ya logue's
settcihnagra,c atneadrc st,i aoshn esd ,o etsoi tssp eecheTsyra.ny n
On
illushtorwma utceohsn eu'nsd erstoafand diianlgo agrguuem'escn atn
bee nricbhyse udc chl oastet enttoii todsnr amafteuiarcte Sst.r auss's
wayo fr eadgionedgsi reccotulnytt oHe erg evli'etswh atthd er amatic
featoufrt ehdsei aloagrmueee r eem bellisThhmedife fnetrse.nb cee­
twetehnte w aop proacihvsei sv iidlllyu sbtyrt ahcteoe ndt breatswte en
KojevHee'gesl rieaand oifPn lga atnodS, t raursesa'dosift n hgse a me
dialoIgnud eiss.c utshseidifsnfege rencSetsr asuuscsc isntcathtlieyss
princoifip nlteesr praentdha etg iooeonsn,t oc ommebnrtil eybf ut
intereosnta in nugmlbyoe frd ialowghuiechshe n evdeirs cuisns ed
priTnhtis.se roifleest atbeorPuslt a to-beginnKionjeglv eweti'ttseh r
ofl lA pr1il9 57a,n de nding witlhe tSottf1era 1ruS sesp'tse mber
1957-miugshetfub lelr ye aidnc onjunwcittSihto rna uisnst'esrp reta­
tioonft hHe iero.I ti sa ltogoentheoe ftr h hei gpho inotfts h is
correspondence.
Straoupsesn sT yranynd efiamnotdleypr:on l istciiceaisnsl c oe
On
lackiinun ngd erstoafnt dhien gmm oassts piovlei tpihceanlo mena,
thiactta nneovter ne cogtnhiwezo erst ty rannfiowerhs a tth eayr. e
.. w.h ewne w erber oufagchteto f c aew itthy rannya-k wiinotdfh
tyratnhnasytu rpatshsbeeo dl diemsatg inoaftt himeoo nsp to welr fu
thinkers of ptohlei stpciaicseaftnial-cl oeteu odrr e gcnoiizte. (23;
177).
Inv ieowf t hfea ilouf"r oeu pro litsicciaelnh ceei ,ni"vt eusst o
reconsider how pchlialsossioocrspa chliy e punoncldeie trisctaolo d
tyrya.Tn hnei nvitiamtmideoina trealitysh eqesu estoifho onwc lassical
thougcohutl d posjsuisbttliopyc o eld iopt hiecnaolm seoran dai lclay
diffefrroemtn hto osfew hicihth a d deixrpeecrti Tehneqc uee.s tion
presuptphotesr eusot fhH egecll'asti hma "tp hiloissoi ptohswy n
Introduction
X1
timgraes peidn t houghOtn.eo" f t haei mosf Tyrannyi st o
On
challtehnacgtlie am. T heb aspirce moifcs lea spsoilciaptlhi iclaols ophy
whicSht raiunsvsi utset sor econsiistd heartt h efu ndamental
problems-ianpn adr titchufueln adra menptroabll eomfsp olitical
life-aatlr eeai,snp t r incailpwlaaeyn,sde verywahcecrees Nsoiw,b le.
"[t]yirasad nannygc eore wviatlph o liltiifc(ea2"l2a )n,rd e lfectoino n
politliicfsaeul gg estthsa" ts ociweitlayll watyrsty o t yrannize
thoug(h2t7"Re) f.l ectointo ynra ntnhyu lse atdors e lfetcioonnt he
relatbieotnw etehno uogrhp th ilosaonpsdhco yi eSttyr.a tuhsesr efore
gradusahliitftyhs fe o coufsh iisn qufriormyt yranny topt rohpee r
relabteitownep ehni loysa onpsdho ctiyIe.nh ivsi ew,H ierot ehne-acts
thcel assSioccraaltu,in cd erstoaftn hdairtne gl atSiiomno:nr iedperse ­
sentthspe h ilosloipafhneiHd,ci etroh peo liltifiNeco.aw ,lt hree lation
ofp hilosaonpsdho yc iieastsc y e nttrota hlue n dearnsdtionfmg o dern
tyranansyi ti st ot huen derstaonfda inncgit eynratn nFyo.rw hile
modertny ranonwye ist dsi stincchtairvateco ti edre olaongdty o
technyo,il doegolaongdty e chnoalrpoerog dyu cotrbs y -products of
thsep eicciafmloldye urnnd erstoafnt dhirene gl ationship between
philosaonpsdho yc i(e2t3Sy)t .ra uss hmiamksteehslse fp okesfmoarn
thcel asusnidcearls toafnt dhiirnseg l atioannsdKh oijpem,va ek es
himstehlsefp okesfmotarhn me o deurnnd erstoafin td.i ng
Thet wofu llaygre et hatth eirsae t ensiionnd,ea ec do nlfict,
betweepnh ilosaonpdsh oyc i(e1t9y25 0,5 c,p 2.7 )a;n dt heayg ree
thapthil osopohrwiy s dorma nks hin itghhoeer esdrot f e ndtsh,ai tt
ithse a rchiteencodtr po rniicn c(inIptrloed uacltlaiet ocunedr eHe ge,l
PariGsa,l lima1r9d4,7 , pp9.52 ,73 30-32,7 5,1 53S 9e7pft;e mber
1950T)h.edi ys agarbeoewu hte tthhecero nflbiecttw peheinl osophy
ansdco iectany- ansdh ouledr -ebseodl.v othweorr ds,d itsh­ey
In
agreaeb otuhtpe o isbsiolfai tfulyyrl atiosncoail.e T thyec hoiiccsle e ar:
tot raysf aarsp oisbstloee lutdhece o nflbiecttw epehnil opshoya nd
socibeymt ayi ntaaisgni rnegaa d ti staasnp coes sbiebtlweet ehne m;
ort ot raysf aarsp oisbstloer esotlhvceeo nflbiecttw epehni losophy
ansdco iebtywy o rkinagr efcoorn cibleitawtteiheoennSm t.r aoupstss
fotrh fler satl ternaKtoijvefevo;ter h see cond.
FoSrt ratuhsceso nlfibcett wpeehni losopshoyc iiaeisntn dye vi­
tabbleec asuoscei reetsoytn sa s harterdui snst h arbeedl iaenfds ,
philosophye vqeutrerysu atsnitdao untsh oHreis tiyd.we istP hl ato
agaiKnosjte Hveeg'iesnlh odlintgh apth iloscoapnhncyoe tat sobe e a
queasntbd e cowmies dsoimm ply.
Philoassos puhciyhns o thbiungtgen uianwea nreesosft hper oblems,
i..o,ef t hfuen dameanntcdao lpm rehepnrsoibvleIe tim issm .p ossible