列奥??施特劳斯（1899－1973）是德国出生的犹太人和加入美国国籍的政治哲学家。他的大部分生涯是作为政治科学教授在芝加哥大学度过的，他在那里教导出众多虔诚的弟子且著述甚丰。他死后逐渐被奉为美国新保守主义的一个主要思想来源。他在当前的中国思想界也有着极大的影响力。 本论文除绪论和结语之外包括三章。第一章介绍了施特劳斯的生平和影响，与此同时也总结了国内外研究施特劳斯的状况。第二章先是揭示了施特劳斯研究中的一个重要分歧，即有人认为施特劳斯是无神论者，有人则认为他真诚地维护启示宗教。通过分析施特劳斯的论述，笔者将明确施特劳斯对待启示宗教的立场：他既不认信任何启示宗教，也不否认启示宗教有可能为真。在施特劳斯看来，启示宗教无法满足哲人对证明的需要，因而无法说服哲人皈依，反过来，哲人也无法证明启示宗教非真，哲人不应颠覆启示宗教。施特劳斯对待启示宗教的这一立场构成了他批判现代性和维护犹太教的基础。在第三章中，笔者将详细论述施特劳斯如何批判现代性，以及他对现代性的批判为什么导致了对犹太教的维护。我们将看到，施特劳斯把现代性的起源追溯到了马基雅维利颠覆基督教的行动，鉴于施特劳斯认为哲人不应颠覆启示宗教，马基雅维利以及追随马基雅维利的现代思想家都被施特劳斯判定为误入歧途。表面上尊奉启示宗教，但暗中采取了无神论立场的阿尔法拉比也受到了施特劳斯的批评。施特劳斯心目中“理性主义真正自然的典范”和“精心保护，免于任何歪曲的标准”乃是迈蒙尼德的理性主义。他对待启示宗教的立场也正是效法迈蒙尼德的立场。这一立场使施特劳斯像迈蒙尼德一样成为了犹太教的护教者。 对于已经进入现代的中国而言，施特劳斯的现代性批判同样具有针对性，而他对犹太教的维护也将激发中国思想界重新审视自身传统的价值。

Leo Strauss (1899 –1973) was a German born Jew and naturalized American political philosopher. He spent most of his career as a Political Science Professor at the University of Chicago, where he taught many devoted students, as well as publishing many books. Since his death, he has come to be regarded as a leading intellectual source of neo-conservatism in the United States. And now, he has great influence on Chinese intelligentsia. This thesis has three sections except for an introduction. In the first section, the life and the influence of Strauss will be introduced, at the same time so does the research about Strauss home and abroad. In the second section, one important divergence in the research about Strauss will be discussed firstly, that is, somebody regard Strauss as an atheist, while somebody else regard him as a loyal defender of revelation. Based on the exposition of Strauss himself, we will clarify what is the attitude of Strauss towards revelation. Now we know that he does not believe in any revelation, nor does he deny the possibility of the revelation to be truth. According to Strauss, it is impossible for revelation to satisfy the need of philosophy towards evidence, however, it is also impossible for the philosophy to prove revelation to be untruth. Philosopher shall not accept revelation, nor shall he subvert revelation. This attitude of Strauss towards revelation is the base of his critique of modernity and his defense of Judaism. In the third section, how Strauss criticize modernity and how he defend Judaism will be discussed in detail. We will see that Strauss trace the beginning of modernity to Machiavelli`s subverting behavior towards Christian religion. We are told by Strauss that philosopher shall not subvert revelation, so that Machiavelli himself and the modern thinkers following him are all judged by Strauss to have fallen into an error. Also criticized by Strauss is Al-Farabi who adopted atheism secretly while at the same time pretended to be a believer. For Strauss, Maimonides` rationalism is the true natural model, the standard to be carefully protected from any distortion. His attitude towards revelation follows the example of Maimonides. Just like Maimonides, Strauss defend Judaism. To the china which has entered into the modern time, the critique of modernity offered by Strauss is also valid, while his defense of Judaism will promote the Chinese intelligentsia to appreciate the value of their tradition too.