Deep Thoughts Philosophy Reading Group
Join us ON ZOOM the 4th Monday of each month, 7pm-8:30pm
Next meeting: Monday, May 20, 7pm-8:30pm (MTN)
Registration is free and open to all.
NOTE: THIS MONTH WE MEET ON THE 3RD MONDAY TO AVOID A CONFLICT WITH MEMORIAL DAY.
Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash
May 20 - What is courage? (Plato's Laches)
How do we identify experts?
What is courage?
In this dialogue by Plato, two Athenian men take their sons to speak to the renowned Athenian generals Nicias (NI-key-us) and Laches (LAY-keys). They want the generals' advice on whether their sons should be trained in a particular fighting skill.
At Socrates’ urging the discussion quickly expands to the question of who we should take educational advice from. Socrates suggests that if Nicias and Laches are authorities on the military education of young men they must know what courage is. But do they know what courage is? Do we?
We look forward to discussing the ideas this dialogue raises!
More details can be found below.
Participants should register with the Longmont Public Library.
Questions? Email us.
Get this month's text
We are discussing two chunks of Plato’s dialogue Laches, totalling about fourteen pages. Of course if you would like to read the entire dialogue (about thirty pages), please do!
Find locations using the number/letter codes in the margins. These are called Stephanus numbers. We will read
From the beginning (178a) to the end of section 185a
From 190b to end of section 194b
Some options for you
Read online at the Internet Archive
Download a PDF of the text, with the sections we are reading marked. (If you have trouble with OneDrive, email us at popco@colorado.edu and we can send you the PDF as an attachment.)
Listen to an audiobook version. Our sections are at 11:29 – 24:37 and 37:58 – 48:15
Get this month's reading guide
Your facilitators have created a reading guide to accompany this month's text. It contains section-by-section summaries as well as "Questions to think about." If there's a question on this list you'd like to discuss with the group, please bring that up at the beginning of our session.
Reading guide PDF (hosted on OneDrive)
If you have trouble with OneDrive, email us at popco@colorado.edu and we can send you the PDF as an attachment.
What to expect at a session
These sessions are participant-driven discussions focused on philosophical essays, facilitated by a trained CU Boulder philosopher. Our goal at each discussion is to build a philosophical dialogue by investigating as a community of thinkers. Each session focuses on a philosophical text, but we do not regard the authors we read as unquestionable authorities. Rather, we consider each author to be another voice in our shared dialogue.
To prepare, please read the selected text to the best of your ability. Most months you'll find a reading guide linked above. If you are unable to read ahead, please come anyway. We recommend bring a copy of the reading with you - digital or printed out.
At the discussion, after brief introductions and a review of the discussion policies, the facilitator will ask participants to share questions and ideas for group discussion. The facilitator will then guide the group in working through as many of their questions as possible before recapping and wrapping up the discussion.
No background in philosophy is expected or required. We are excited to discuss the ideas raised by your interaction with the text!
More philosophy
Boulder Public Library "Classics of Philosophy" reading group:
We used to have a group just like this group, but meeting on the 2nd Monday of each month. This group has closed, but you can still brows the list of past sessions for ideas on things to read!
Great philosophy podcasts
The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps - Over 350 episodes covering various philosophers and topics. Includes episode series on Indian philosophy and Africana philosophy.
Hi-Phi Nation - approximately 40 episodes (as of 2020) that discuss philosophical ideas in contemporary contexts. The most recent seasons have focused on issues of justice and politics.
Discussion groups
Grey Havens Philosophy - A Longmont, CO based nonprofit running weekly and monthly philosophical discussion groups for all ages.
Your local philosophers!
Philosophy Department at the University of Colorado - Boulder