Recovering Moses: The Contribution of Eric Voegelin and Contemporary Political Science

Abstract: This article takes a new look at Moses as a political thinker. Among students of political science, Moses is certainly deserving of serious academic study. Four important contemporary assessments of Moses as a political thinker will be examined. It is argued that these recent studies allow for a more accurate presentation of Moses and his contribution to political thought. The works of Aaron Wildavsky, Michael Walzer, Paul Eidelberg, and Eric Voegelin are critiqued. While all advance existing knowledge, Voegelin’s analysis is more central to a restoration of the importance of Moses for political scientists.

Biography: Dr. H. Lee Cheek, Jr., www.drleecheek.com, is the chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division and a professor of political science and philosophy at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. Dr. Cheek’s books include Political Philosophy and Cultural Renewal (Transaction/Rutgers, 2001), with Kathy B. Cheek; Calhoun and Popular Rule (University of Missouri Press, 2001; paper edition, 2004); Calhoun: Selected Speeches and Writings (Regnery, 2003); and Order and Legitimacy (Transaction/Rutgers, 2004). He has also published numerous journal articles in publications like the Journal of Politics, Methodist History, and International Social Science Review. Dr. Cheek’s current research includes the completion of an intellectual biography of Francis Graham Wilson, a study of the American Founding, and a book on Patrick Henry’s constitutionalism and political theory. Dr. Cheek is also the founder and director of the Wesley Studies Society. He currently serves on the editorial board of Humanitas and The University Bookman.