Esoteric philosophy: Leo Strauss and sociolinguistics

Authors

  • Aron B Bekesi Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar (PTE-AOK)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23756/sp.v7i2.481

Keywords:

Leo Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing, sociolinguistics, esoteric philosophy, Minowitz

Abstract

Leo Strauss’ controversial theory of esoteric philosophy, as presented in Persecution and the Art of Writing (1952), sparked a fierce debate. Opponents and proponents of the theory utilised a wide range of perspectives to support their arguments. By investigating esoteric philosophy from a sociolinguistic perspective, this paper introduces a novel perspective to the Strauss dispute.  In PAW Strauss is mistaken regarding esotericism and its role in philosophy. On one hand it is reasonable to endorse Strauss’ persuasive account on the origins of esoteric writing. The Straussian account provides a plausible sociological background as to why philosophy, per se became an esoteric fliedH. On the other hand it seems as Strauss ascribed undue significance to possible clandestine massages that may be found within works of philosophy because philosophy is mostly already done in an esoteric linguistic space.

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Author Biography

  • Aron B Bekesi, Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar (PTE-AOK)

    An independent researcher with a background in philosophy, (BA, University of Debrecen; MA, King's College London) I currently study medicine (MD, University of Pécs) with the aim of becoming a psychiatrist.

     

    My first publication, ‘The Scientific Discovery of Emotions…’ was published in Existential Analysis (27/1, 2016).

References

Laszlo Aron, aronlaszlo@aol.com, (ELTE BTK)

Zsuzsanna Mariann Lengyel, lengyelzsm@gmail.com (ELTE BTK)

Ella Csikós, csikosella@yahoo.com, (ELTE BTK)

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Published

2019-12-30

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2019)

Section

Volume 7 Issue 2 2019

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