 Obedience to the law and the philosophical meaning of the law are two different matters that are reflected in what Strauss argues is Maimonides’ dual conception of law. The exterior, literal meaning of the law serves to sustain the political community in which certain forms of behavior and belief are required, while the ideal meaning of the law is a matter of philosophical speculation only for those who are capable of such speculation. This dual conception of law parallels the dual character of Maimonides’ writing, which offers what Strauss calls a “moderate” reading meant for the masses and what he calls a “radical” reading meant for the philosophical reader. As Strauss would elaborate just two years later in greater detail, this dialectical tension lies at the heart of Maimonides’ style of writing and argumentation.