Sunday Reading Circle: Plato's Crito

In this series of meetings, we'll come together to read and discuss some of the greatest texts and essays from the fields of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: from the Nobel laureates, famous philosophers, both ancient and modern, and influential political theorists.

No academic background is required! Anyone is welcome – as long as you've read the text in advance ;)

All texts will be short (10-20 pages max) and easy to find upon a quick Google search. I will also make sure to share the direct links in advance.

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This time we will read Plato's dialogue Crito. In this dialogue, Socrates famously refuses his friend’s offer to help him escape from prison, insisting it would be unjust to break the laws of Athens even to save his life.

The dialogue became foundational for political philosophy and ethics: it introduced the idea that moral integrity and respect for law outweigh personal interest, anticipated later theories of the social contract, and set the stage for enduring debates about justice, obedience, and conscience.

Link:
https://www.platonicfoundation.org/translation/crito/

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Location: we will meet in cafes, parks, or one another's living rooms throughout the summer. Together, we will discuss the great theories and ideas; think, debate, contemplate, deliberate, and by our joint effort we will aim to get one step closer towards understanding of this world.

This time we’ll meet at Justin’s home (Blahníkova 646/16). The names on the buzzer are “McCandless, Everett, Mainous,” go up to the 5th floor and if the button in the elevator gives you trouble then just ride it up to the 4th floor.

Meeting structure: each session will begin with a brief summary of the key ideas from the reading, followed by open discussion.

Please read the text in advance, make highlights, and write down any thoughts or questions that you find especially interesting and compelling.

Knowledge Will Break the Chains of Slavery
Veritas Vos Liberabit ✊