ABSTRACT
Leo Strauss’s critique of modern liberalism reflects a more general dissatisfaction with modern philosophy, modern science and modern society. In his view, liberalism is a creed which subordinates virtue and wisdom to mundane pleasure in a “joyless quest for joy.” 1 It stands at the political centre of what Strauss terms the “modern project.” 2 The modern project, he argues, pervades almost every aspect of contemporary consciousness and is characterized, above all, by a potentially destructive Pro-metheanism. Once critical, contemplative and detached, philosophy and science have been pressed into the service of social improvement. In this process, transcendental limits and bonds are forgotten or trampled. Religion and faith are depicted as delusions which stand in the way of acquisition. 3
