On Tyranny

This work is Strauss' reading of Xenophon's dialogue, "Hiero" or "Tyrannicus", in which the tyrant Hiero and the poet Simonides discuss the advantages and disadvantages of exercising tyranny. This edition includes a translation of the dialogue, a critique of the commentary by the French philosopher Alexandre Kojeve, Strauss' restatement of his position in light of Kojeve's comm...

This work is Strauss' reading of Xenophon's dialogue, "Hiero" or "Tyrannicus", in which the tyrant Hiero and the poet Simonides discuss the advantages and disadvantages of exercising tyranny. This edition includes a translation of the dialogue, a critique of the commentary by the French philosopher Alexandre Kojeve, Strauss' restatement of his position in light of Kojeve's comments, and the complete Strauss-Kojeve correspondence.

Leo Strauss (1899-1973) was the Robert Maynard Hutchins Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Chicago. His many contributions to political philosophy include The Political Philosophy of Hobbes and Liberalism Ancient and Modern, both published by the University of Chicago Press.