Greek Reading Group
The Greek Reading Group meets weekly during term time for one and a half to two hours, usually in Edgecliffe. This group, usually of 5 to 10 members, is attended by philosophers, classicists, and interested persons however they would describe themselves. Members not only come from St Andrews and the surrounding area, but also on occasion include visitors from England, the US, and continental Europe, whose travels bring them to St Andrews. PhD students and MLitt students from Classics or Philosophy are welcome to the GRG.
Since its inception by Sarah Broadie in 2001, the group has read its way through the Protagoras, Symposium, Phaedrus, Philebus, Alcibiades I, and Statesman, and Aristotle's Politics VIII. We are about to embark on the Nicomachean Ethics VIII and IX. The purpose is to increase our understanding of the texts, both philosophically and philologically. We work from the Greek. Those who wish to translate out loud do so taking turns within a single session. There is no pressure to translate out loud, and some of our most committed members prefer not to do so. However, the GRG gives graduate students in Philosophy who are working on Greek philosophy in the original an opportunity they might not otherwise get while here to practise their Ancient Greek language skills in a friendly forum.
Our only rule is that members accept with patience the discussion - which may run to any length - of any point of translation, philosophical interpretation, or wider relevant philosophical interest, that any member wishes to raise.
For more information on the Greek Reading Group, contact Sarah Broadie.