CFP: Plato 2022

REGISTRATION FOR PLATO 2022 IS NOW OPEN! This interdisciplinary workshop will investigate the contemporary relevance of Plato’s ethical and political thought. It will be held virtually on June 9-10, 2022. To register please send an email with your full name and institutional affiliation (if applicable) to [email protected]. After registering, you will receive instructions for online access. 

In a time of great social and political change, how might scholars of Plato respond in kind? This topic is broad, and avenues for investigation are wide-ranging. The following are some questions that fall within the scope of the conference. What aspects of the dialogues are most pertinent to our current social and political debates? How might Plato’s ideas about virtue, happiness, knowledge and their interconnection influence our own thinking? Is the assumption that there is a single human good compatible with the ideals of tolerance and pluralism? How do the dialogues balance individual and societal interests? What are Plato’s views about the best sort of society (egalitarian, totalitarian, dystopian)? How do pleasure, desire, love, and relationships figure into his ethical and political thought? How ought we to understand Plato’s treatment of class, ability, and natural talents? What can we determine about his views on sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and regional identity, and how have these views influenced scholars and society in the ensuing millennia? Given the differences between our general assumptions about social and political issues today and what Plato seemed to assume, why should we continue to read and study these texts today? 

If you have any questions for the organizers, feel free to contact Gwen Nally, Doug Reed, or Georgia Sermamoglou at [email protected].