Harry V. Jaffa concludes his fine review of “Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics” by describing what he sees as “a dialectical friendship between Athens and Jerusalem,” sustained through a long tradition whose protagonists include Thomas Aquinas and Leo Strauss. It’s unfortunate that Jaffa does not mention the no less vital presence of the “Ethics” in the political philosophy of the Islamic world, as developed by al-Farabi (whose work Strauss knew well) and his successors. Brilliant commentaries on Aristotle’s text remain an indispensable part of the cultural heritage of all three Abrahamic religions.
STEPHEN BLUM
New York"
New York"
PS Strauss, as Muhsin Mahdi his student told me, had great admiration and appreciation for Al-Farabi because Maimonides considered him "the second teacher". In Strauss main volume on history of political philosophy, Mahdi was asked to write a chapter on Al-Farabi. People may not know that Strauss knew Arabic.
