*In the Realm of the Last Man*
The article discusses the philosophical perspectives of Leo Strauss and his followers, particularly the Straussians. It highlights Strauss's criticism of social science and empirical accounts, which some of his followers adopted. Additionally, it references Frank Fukuyama's memoir, emphasizing the importance of historical context in understanding ideas.
- ▪Leo Strauss criticized social science and naive forms of positivism in American universities.
- ▪Straussians built their philosophical ideas on the foundation laid by Strauss but did not become architects of those ideas.
- ▪Frank Fukuyama's forthcoming memoir is recommended for its insights on the interplay between ideas and history.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
*In the Realm of the Last Man* by Tyler Cowen May 22, 2026 at 4:09 pm in Books History Political Science As Mark Lilla, a recovering Straussian, once remarked, they [the Straussians] were like craftsmen building a house brick by brick on a foundation that Leo Strauss had laid. But they would never become architects of that house, or decide that the house was too small for them to comfortably live in. Moreoever, Strauss disparaged social science and what he considered naive forms of positivism prevalent in American universities. This led some of his followers to disdain merely empirical accounts of current events. If you are more of a Hegelian, you need to pay attention to actual history if you are to give an account of how ideas play out in the real world.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Marginal Revolution.
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