Tutoring For Serious Students and Practitioners

With a varied background in the hard sciences, political science, and philosophy, John Cohen is seeking exceptional students of all ages. Whether you desire help with coursework, to engage in the close reading of a challenging text, or to gain a better vantage point for understanding contemporary politics, John is ready to guide you toward your goal. His tutoring—tailored to the needs and interests of each individual—is ideal for philosophical greenhorns, experienced readers, and professionals whose work might benefit from a thorough understanding of the foundations of politics and the modern world.

 

Example Courses of Study:

  • Gain new insights into contemporary politics and the relationship between technology and society by experiencing firsthand the origins and evolution of liberalism, in the words of its greatest proponents and critics.

  • The vivid prose of Oswald Spengler’s magnum opus, The Decline of the West (German: Der Untergang des Abendlandes), is packed with insights into Nature and History. Yet today, its loudest champions merely treat it as a source for cheap online slogans. By carefully reading the foundational chapters of Volume I, we will gain a rich understanding of Spengler’s underlying teaching and the tensions contained within.

  • Leo Strauss was perhaps the greatest thinker of the twentieth century and thus remains controversial. In this course, we will explore different facets of Strauss’s thought, including the significance of esoteric writing, the “theologico-political” problem, and the quarrel between the Ancients and Moderns. We will also examine Strauss’s legacy, including his students and the East Coast/West Coast divide.

  • Contrary to popular opinion, the most serious ideas that emerged out of the German confrontation with modernity were not refuted by the defeat of the Third Reich. In this longer course, we will grapple with select readings by Goethe, Nietzsche, Spengler, Schmitt, Jünger, Heidegger, and Strauss to gain a better understanding of what Strauss called the “crisis of modernity,” as well as possible remedies.

  • A custom course of study built around your interests and goals. Contact John today to discuss your ideas and timeline, no matter how broad or narrow.