Modern Age - Spring 2016 - 95

THE POVERTY OF ANTIHISTORICISM

of learning to recognize the concrete, inarticulable criteria of our
ethical choices. Paraphrasing Gadamer, Smith says that these
unspeakable criteria can only, ultimately, be described as "appropriateness" or "propriety" (Anständigkeit), a kind of know-how of
what would be fitting in the exercise of ethical discretion.16 To be
sure, there is in such applications of past to present a reasoning
by analogy that involves the recognition of concrete, articulable
examples-instantiations of the good in the past. Gadamer makes
clear, however, that such recognition is only possible for subjects
who have already become experienced participants in a tradition
of application.
Such accretions of moral insight or wisdom, therefore, are only
conceivable when one is seen as part of a historical life, having
acquired the necessary experience over time and having developed the ethical judgment representative of the spoudaios.17
And when viewed in this light, Gadamer's ultimate response to
Strauss's accusation of moral relativism becomes clear-which is
that such conclusions about his philosophical hermeneutics must
ultimately derive from an inadequate understanding of the role of
Wirkungsgeschichte in our knowing. The problem, it would appear,
is that the productivity of historical experience (Erfahrung) and its
very contribution to knowing is altogether neglected by Strauss,
who sees in our particularity only its obscuring effect. Gadamer's
advertence to Aristotle, therefore, can be seen as a corrective to
this hyperintellectualism of Strauss, and his failure to recognize the
compatibility-indeed, the very dependence-of our knowledge
of moral reality on our historical effectedness.

W

e do not know what Strauss may have said in response to
these arguments, since he did not live to read The Idea of the
moder nagejour nal .com

95



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Modern Age - Spring 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Modern Age - Spring 2016

Contents
Modern Age - Spring 2016 - Cover1
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Modern Age - Spring 2016 - Contents
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