Abstract
Carl Mitcham makes the case for Leo Strauss’s importance as a theorist of technology whose work complements thinkers like Bernard Stiegler and others in philosophy of technology and science and technology studies. His main argument is that a political philosophy of technology follows from the core elements of Strauss’s unique analysis of modernity. Importantly, he adapts Strauss’s “cave within a cave” image to encapsulate the interventionist origins and subsequent artificiality of modernity, and, thus, helps us to see why a “Tractatus Politico-Technologicus” can usefully make common cause with contemporary philosophy of technology.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mitcham C (2022) Political philosophy of technology: After Leo Strauss (a question of sovereignty). Nanoethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-022-00428-9
Strauss L (1988) How to study Spinoza’s Theological Political Treatise. In: Persecution and the art of writing. University of Chicago Press, pp 142–201
Strauss L (1958) Thoughts on Machiavelli. University of Chicago Press
Strauss L (1959) What is political philosophy? University of Chicago Press, And other studies
Strauss L (1988) Persecution and the art of writing. University of Chicago Press
Strauss L (2000) On tyranny. University of Chicago Press
Burns T (2021) Leo Strauss on democracy, technology, and liberal education. State University of New York Press, Albany
Kass L (1985) Toward a more natural science. The Free Press, New York
Kass L (2003) Beyond therapy: Biotechnology and the pursuit of happiness. President’s Council on Bioethics, Washington, DC. https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/pcbe/background/kasspaper.html
Minkov SY (2016) Leo Strauss on science. State University of New York Press, Albany, Albany
Minkov SY, Trout BL (eds) (2018) Mastery of nature: Promises and prospects. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia
Weinberger J (ed) (2017) New Atlantis and The Great Instauration. Francis Bacon. Wiley Blackwell, Oxford
Melzer AM, Weinberger J, Zinman MR (eds) (1993) Technology in the western political tradition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca
Studer H (1998) Francis Bacon on the political dangers of scientific progress. Can J Polit Sci 31:219–234
Craig T (2019) On technological utopianism. https://voegelinview.com/on-technological-utopianism/
Nadon C (2001) Xenophon’s prince: Republic and empire in the “Cyropaedia.” University of California Press, Berkeley
Moulakis A (1994) Beyond utility: Liberal education for a technological age. University of Missouri Press, Columbia
Faulkner RK (1993) Francis Bacon and the project of progress. Rowman and Littlefield, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Diduch, P. Tractatus Politico-Technologicus as Common Cause. Nanoethics 16, 343–346 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-022-00430-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-022-00430-1