Department of Global Studies

This thesis is a reconstruction of John Locke’s political and moral philosophy
around the theologico-political problem. It tries to study the evolution of Locke’s thought from
is his earlier writings to the formulation of his mature ideas about the toleration, the law of
nature and Christianity. According to the author, Locke has two doctrines, one esoteric and
other exoteric. The first is a doctrine of natural utilitarianism, independent of Revelation, which
considered in itself is largely sufficient as the foundation of a political order. But because of
difficulties related to the discovery of the premises of natural law and its complete
prescriptions, this doctrine must have recourse to a doctrine of natural law founded on divine
sanctions; this is the exoteric doctrine. This second doctrine, in spite of its philosophical
insufficiencies is one of the salutary myths which are the pillars of the Lockean regime. This
doctrine answers the natural limits of human life: irrationality and contradiction between
individual and public interest. In this sense, the real project of Locke is to found a “civil
religion” for the constitution and the preservation of his political order.

The question addressed by this article is whether esotericism or secret teachings exist in Machiavelli's writings. This question has been a major point of contention between the commentators of Machiavelli, with many denying the existence of esoteric teaching in the Machiavellian corpus. This article will explore the controversy by studying Machiavelli's own works, and on this basis it will be contended that there are many references and elements present in Machiavelli's works that justify an esoteric interpretation. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that Machiavelli has esoteric intentions that are different from the surface meaning of his texts. It is therefore necessary for commentators to go beyond the surface of his writings to uncover his deeper teachings.

Cet article se penche sur la question de la présence d'éléments ésotériques ou d'enseignements secrets dans l'oeuvre de Machiavel. Le sujet est un point de désaccord important parmi les commentateurs de l'oeuvre de Machiavel, puisque plusieurs nient l'existence d'un tel enseignement. L'article explore cette controverse en examinant l'oeuvre de Machiavel, pour ensuite montrer qu'il s'y trouve plusieurs références et éléments justifiant une interprétation ésotérique. En conséquence, il est vraisemblable que Machiavel ait eu des intentions ésotériques différentes du propos apparent de ses écrits. Il s'avère donc nécessaire que les commentateurs aillent plus loin que la surface de son oeuvre afin de découvrir ses enseignements cachés.

In recent years, there has been a considerable increase of interest in the thought and writings of Leo Strauss. This renewed interest has led to the discovery and publication of writings and lectures which heretofore have been available only to few scholars. The following two recently discovered lectures on Plato’s Republic (1958) and Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1962) were originally delivered by Leo Strauss in the Works of the Mind lecture series at the University of Chicago. In these transcripts one finds sharper and franker formulations of the issues discussed in Strauss’ published writings; they depict Strauss’ efforts in trying different
approaches and lines of inquiry which provide the reader with fresh and fascinating glimpses into Strauss’s philosophical development and intellectual odyssey.

Since the arrival of revealed religions and their encounter with Greek philosophy, the issue of the relationship between reason and revelation has been one of the most important problems in the history of thought. One important aspect of this issue is that it determines and guides the relationship that philosophers have with religious writings, which rest upon faith in divine revelation. Knowing that they are products of a miraculous contact with God, how should one approach them? Can they be read, understood, and evaluated like any other writing? Is a philosophic approach to revealed texts possible? More importantly, are revealed texts compatible with the spirit of philosophy? Do revealed texts approve or disapprove of the pursuit of knowledge through natural human reason?

eds.), Leiden: Brill, 2018 (Iran Studies, 16), ISSN 1569-7401, ISBN 978-90-04-35658-0 (hbk), ISBN 978-90-04-35839-3 (e-book). xx + 334 pp. Rasoul Namazi (eds.), Leiden: Brill, 2018 (Iran Studies, 16), ISSN 1569-7401, ISBN 978-90-04-35658-0 (hbk), ISBN 978-90-04-35839-3 (e-book). xx + 334 pp.