MLA Residential Seminar: High Classical Athens

Curious about the Master of Liberal Arts Residential Seminar? This year’s seminar turns to High Classical Athens—a moment in history when a people undertook the bold experiment of ruling themselves in radical freedom. Over the course of a week, we will read closely, think deliberately, and inquire together into the texts, tragedies, architecture, and sculpture that give expression to democratic life. What did it mean for citizens to govern themselves? How were freedom and equality imagined, enacted, and contested? And what might this ancient experiment still ask of us? Key Questions This Video Explores: • What is the MLA Residential Seminar? • What will we discuss at the Residential Seminar? • What is the registration process like for the Residential Seminar? About the Professor: Kendall Sharp is an Instructor in the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. He holds a PhD from the Committee on Social Thought and a BA from the College at the University of Chicago. Formerly Assistant Professor in Classical Studies at the University of Western Ontario, he has also taught history, classics, and humanities at DePaul University, the University of Illinois-Chicago, and in the College. His scholarship centers on Plato’s dialogues as literary expressions of the philosophical life. His teaching ranges across Greek and Latin languages, classical literature and philosophy in translation, mythology, and ancient Greek science. He is currently reflecting on the West’s complex reception of ancient Greek commitments to political freedom and equality. Chapters: 00:00 — Introductions 01:07 — What is the Residential Seminar? 02:35 — Prior Residential Seminars 04:10 — Accommodations 05:07 — Registration Process 06:37 — Meet Kendall Sharp 07:30 — A Preview of High Classical Athens 09:43 — Syllabus Overview 17:44 — Closing Remarks This information session provides a glimpse into our Residential Seminar. Learn more here: https://masterliberalarts.uchicago.edu/residential-seminar/ Learn more about all University of Chicago Graham School offerings and events here: https://graham.uchicago.edu/