"Straussian cult." Wonderful! I'm actually looking for a Straussian program. Thanks for the heads up.

That is unfortunate. Does it follow that since Straussians defend "great books," therefore they are conservative? You may wish to study the exchanges between Mr. Jaffa and Mr. Bradford in back issues of Modern Age. That way you can read the primary sources and decide for yourself who is defending the permanent things and who is a modern egoist masquerading as a traditionalist.

I appreciate the thoughtful exchange on this thread regarding graduate programs. It is important to recognize the differences between applying to an undergraduate college and looking for a graduate schoool mentor.

Toward the end of preserving the very helpful nature of everyone's comments, I would like to ask that participants refrain from using the term 'cult'. I think it is used slightly out of context in this discussion and, unfortunately, obscures more than it illuminates.

Everyone has demonstrated a high regard for the life of the mind, and that is always something worth celebrating.

Mr. Eskew, if you are looking for Straussian faculties, Dallas is great, Notre Dame probably pretty good (the Zuckerts); Boston College might be the best, although as afar as Catholicism goes, the most diluted of the three. I suspect that students do not choose Boston b/c of its Jesuitism, rather its excellent academic program. And, I agree with you, the Leo Strauss school is where it's at!

On that note, you mentioned that you are contemplating a field of either Political Philosophy orHistory, may I ask why? It seems that Leo Strauss believed the two disciplines to be mutually exclusive. "Political philosophy is not a historical discipline." (What is Political Philosophy?, Chicago 1959) This may not be the thread in which to begin a discussion of the difference between the two studies, but I do believe Strauss' views on this matter could guide you in making your decision on what and where to study.

BTW, I am a Catholic PolPhil PhD student (Straussian), and I attend a large state school. After weighing many factors, I decided LSU was the best for me. Who knows, perhaps you would be happiest at Northern Illinois, or North Texas?

Hope this helps!

Hey Jackson, I went to Thomas Aquinas College (where I converted to Catholicism) and just completed all my classwork and took qualifying exams at Claremont Graduate University. This isn't really the place for debates about Strauss or what is the definition of a conservative (to say Straussians aren't at all conservative would be an odd thing to say on a purely practical, I think), but I would argue you can get a great education through Claremont, as you can at many of the other schools mentioned. There are a number of Straussians there. I would definitely check it out as well as UD, ND, and BU. The degree would be in political science (Political Philosophy and American Government). Email me if you have any questions.