Ok so main points of Straussianism which I have cobbled together out of the cobwebs. No idea of the extent to which Strauss actually bought into these, just common usage. 1. The Noble Lie. The People may be made better off if they are deceived, via (eg) false religion that . . .
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Replying to @eigenrobot @bernienomics
. . . while untrue promotes general virtue. 2. Esoteric vs exoteric textual interpretation. Since you can't just go and TELL everyone you're lying to them, Straussian texts have a superficial meaning that is immediately apparent to a casual or naive reader; underneath,
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Replying to @eigenrobot @bernienomics
a different (and perhaps contradictory) meaning may be inferred by a careful reader. Presumably their sophistication renders them less-vulnerable to the downsides of the dangerous Truth.
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Replying to @eigenrobot @bernienomics
Economists actually do this all the time. Fer instance, half of labor microeconomics is built around stories of large numbers of people being hopelessly dumb or incapable. But you can't just SAY that in polite circles. What to do?
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Replying to @eigenrobot @bernienomics
Two common strategies: obfuscate using terms like "high type" and "low type" and lots of math that leaves your message available only to the elect; or, simply write a palatable story in the text, and tell the truth by contradicting your words in your tables. Many such cases!
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Replying to @eigenrobot @bernienomics
An example from theater: I'm two-thirds convinced Richard III is actually a Machiavellian take on political efficacy. Richard is *incredibly effective* throughout and attains total victory. But you can't say the Queen is ruling by virtue of wicked efficiency! So?
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A tacked on ending where Richmond, a practical saint, conveniently shows up and wins the day. It's not really believable and disharmonious with the first three quarters of the play. Potential esoteric reading: ignore this Hollywood bullshit. Director's cut ends w/Edward's sons.
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