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By Eduardo Hernando Nieto
One of the most well-known thesis of Professor Leo Strauss is undoubtedly the recognition of the greatness of the West has achieved thanks to the tension between Athens and Jerusalem, namely, that our Western culture is not have been feasible without the support of reason and faith. This is because in both cases two different manifestations of wisdom, wisdom for the Bible begins with the fear of God while for this philosophy begins in wonder. If someone wants to search for wisdom - as is the case of Strauss - then you have to put on the table the two perspectives and hear what they have to house that one of them to choose, however, such an act would already taking sides in favor of philosophy.
is certainly possible to find multiple matches between the two, in fact, theology and classical philosophy oppose many of the most important features of modernity, anthropocentrism, the turn toward the moral rights rather than obligations ( as suggested by contemporary liberal approaches) or the dependence of man toward history (historicism) likewise, both call for moral recovery. In this sense, both Athens and Jerusalem are the great enemies of nihilism and materialism that threatens the world today.
Nevertheless, these are two ways to define what would be the most correct way of life, which is always the question those who bet on the life of wisdom. This is essentially the so called political theological problem: "The political theological problem, as Strauss articulates it in concrete, through a fundamental question, namely whether the man can come to the knowledge of good in order to guide individual or collective life with their own natural powers effort or whether this is dependent on divine revelation. "
It's true - as noted by Strauss - the Biblical tradition, is based in the presence of a mysterious God whose presence are felt but not visible, and only know about it when it does knowledge through his word (for example, with phrases like "I am who I am.") Strauss says about it:
"In almost all respects, the word of God as revealed to their prophets and Moses especially, become the source of knowledge of good and evil, the true tree of knowledge, is at the same time the tree of life "
However, if for example the Platonic God, it does not create the world with their words but through the contemplation of eternal ideas which are above it, in this sense, theology would obviously not room for the doctrine of ideas.
However, we must not overlook that in practice philosophy can not refute faith faith nor philosophy can refute, so you would have to come to a conclusion that calls into question the assertion earlier about the dominance of philosophy over theology, and this for the simple reason that if you can not refute the theology then the choice of philosophy would eventually be a matter of faith.
The Western world has apparently tried to integrate or synthesize faith and reason, but what has emerged as Strauss says it is not integration but an attempt at integration, however, will have to conclude that this harmonization effort is doomed to failure because each places a thing as unique and necessary, namely, the Bible, take obedient love life and philosophy of life will self-understanding.
But while we have seen both are necessary for the development of the Western world, the advent of modernity could be said to have begun at the time of being sought to overcome stress. It is interesting to note if the way in the so-called Medieval Rationalism (Maimonides, Averroes etc) was achieved relationship of equal respect to each of those traditions, through the distinction between esoteric and exoteric, and therefore at the esoteric philosophical understanding that life was the life of the pursuit of knowledge standing here in a plane superiority over the life of obedience. However, in the exoteric level, the medieval rationalists were subordinate to the law. This was then managed intelligently as the tension in this period. However, Strauss suggests the possibility that it was through Thomism, when in an attempt to harmonize and integrate them, there was the subordination of philosophy to revelation , Which opens the way to another subordinate even more problematic, is now dependent on the revelation of philosophy, this would begin with Machiavelli, and would be the starting point of modernity and development from Positivism to Historicism, and from the historicism to Nihilism.
no doubt that the greatness of our Western culture depends on the recovery of these two great traditions and the restoration of his power, a difficult task at present exhibiting rather a depletion of reason and faith.
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