Liberal Democracy in Crisis. Leo Strauss's Rethinking of Political Philosophy.

The origination of this thesis emanated from an intriguing research query: "What steps can be taken to comprehend and mitigate the influence of populist movements on contemporary liberal democracies?" In particular, this thesis aims to grasp and examine populism in the United States by utilizing the Trump era as a paradigm. Although there is a wealth of literature on this topic, significant gaps in our understanding of populism remain. Therefore, this thesis aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by offering a novel perspective on the subject through the lens of a renowned German philosopher, Strauss (1899—1973), who spent a considerable amount of time in the United States and provided insights into the crisis of modern democracy, including his observations of similar extremist phenomena during the rise of Hitler through democratic means in the Weimar Republic. The opening chapter of this thesis delves into several sections that explore Strauss’s philosophical views on modernity, which are crucial in comprehending his position on democracy. The main emphasis of this chapter lies in Strauss's assessment of the adverse outcomes of modernity, which have resulted in the disempowerment of modern citizens. Consequently, this weakened population is susceptible to manipulation by extremist figures. Furthermore, this chapter delves into Strauss's arguments concerning the role of elites in liberal democracy as well as the impact of technology on politics from both classical and modern perspectives. In the Second chapter, the focus shifts to the societal response to Strauss's theories. The media and American intellectuals levied charges for elitism and an anti-democratic stance against him, creating a stir of controversy. This chapter offers an equitable and unbiased examination of these allegations, scrutinizing them objectively and scholarly. In the third chapter of my analysis, I delve into the intricate phenomenon of populism, scrutinizing it from different angles through the lens of Strauss's thoughts. I then delve deeper into the claims that Strauss’ ideas have provided a theoretical basis to support Trump, exploring the possible correlation between the two. In the final section, I present my argument on Strauss's possible imagined stance toward Trump if he was alive. Finally, I discuss the relevance of the question of how we can avert potential future surges in populism.