Reading for Freedom and Equality in the Basic Program | Kendall Sharp | First Friday Lecture

How can reading classical texts train citizens for freedom and equality? In this First Friday lecture for the Basic Program, Kendall Sharp traces how ancient Greek writers understand political life as a shared practice among free and equal citizens. Beginning from Aristotle’s Politics, he unpacks the idea of the citizen as someone who both rules and is ruled in turn, and shows how rotation in office and reciprocal equality create a distinct political space above ordinary social roles. From there he turns to Herodotus, following stories of external wars and internal coups in Athens and Sparta that dramatize how freedom, equality, and the willingness to fight for a constitutional order belong together. The lecture culminates in Sophocles’ Antigone, where the autocratic rule of Creon is judged by an Athenian audience accustomed to democratic deliberation. Sharp reads the play as a meditation on what happens when a ruler forgets that citizens are political equals rather than subjects, and he closes by gathering Aristotle, Herodotus, and Sophocles into a single picture of the polis as a community sustained by discussion, law, and shared sacrifice. In the Q&A, he and participants explore how Greek ideas about citizen armies, mercenaries, education, and equality of participation might illuminate the strengths and vulnerabilities of contemporary democracies. Key Questions 1. How does Aristotle’s account of citizenship and “reciprocal equality” explain why free citizens must both rule and be ruled in turn? 2. In Herodotus’ histories, what do the battles and coups involving Athens and Sparta reveal about the connection between freedom, equality, and the courage to fight? 3. How do the careers of tyrants such as Peisistratus and Hippias illustrate the fragility of constitutional government in the polis? 4. In Sophocles’ Antigone, how does the conflict between Creon and Antigone dramatize the dangers of autocratic rule for a community of citizens? 5. How might Greek reflections on citizen armies, mercenaries, and motivation help us think about contemporary struggles between free peoples and autocratic regimes? Chapters 00:01:26 Basic Program, Graham School, and upcoming events 00:06:44 Framing freedom and equality through Aristotle’s Politics 00:23:09 Herodotus on freedom and equality in Athens and Sparta 00:28:06 Insurrection, tyranny, and the making of Athenian democracy 00:38:24 From Herodotus to Antigone: equality, speech, and the democratic polis 00:45:16 Sophocles’ Antigone as a critique of autocratic rule 00:58:33 Drawing the themes together and opening the Q&A 01:03:46 Q&A: equality, education, and democratic judgment 01:10:16 Closing thanks and final reflections About the Speaker Kendall Sharp is the Sheffield Family Distinguished 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, he was Assistant Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Western Ontario, and he has taught also at DePaul University (history), the University of Illinois-Chicago (classics), and in the College (humanities). He rejoined the Basic Program in 2019, having last served on the staff from 1999–2000. His research and publishing focus on Plato’s dialogues as literary expressions of the philosophical life. His teaching has included Greek and Latin languages, classics in translation (literature, philosophy, history), and both classical mythology and ancient Greek science. He is currently preoccupied with the chilly reception Western Civilization gave to the ancient Greek values of political freedom and equality.  About the Basic Program The First Friday Lecture series is presented by the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. The Basic Program is a four-year certificate program for intellectually curious learners who want to read and discuss the Great Books in a serious, welcoming community. Through close reading and weekly conversation, students engage works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, de Tocqueville, Woolf, and Morrison—guided by outstanding instructors, with no prerequisites, tests, papers, or grades. Offered online and in person, the program invites adults from all backgrounds to deepen their thinking and join a lifelong community of readers. Learn more at https://graham.uchicago.edu/program/basic-program-of-liberal-education/ About Graham The Graham School is a one-of-a-kind intellectual community that brings the best of the University of Chicago to lifelong learners who are seeking discovery and discernment. Through an array of distinctive programs and courses in the Great Books, the liberal arts, and advanced leadership, we welcome learners who seek to deepen their understanding of the world and lead examined lives of purpose. Learn more at https://graham.uchicago.edu