Great Books Philosophy
Everyone is welcome
Fundamental to our group is the belief that everyone can read and understand great literature. We believe that anyone who has deliberately and closely read before the discussion can be a valuable participant. The discussion then helps the readers discover and explore the work in a way that listening to a lecture cannot.
Discussion
The discussion is central to our philosophy because it is the discussion that fosters understanding. We discourage our groups from "teaching" a book or even bringing in expert analysis. The Great Book experience is dependent on everyone coming to the discussion, the material already read, and having an honest examination where everyone's opinion is valued.
Group Leaders
A great discussion requires work and experience from the group leader. The ability to formulate good questions is foremost to a great discussion. We encourage leaders to create questions that explore rather than test, questions that require participants to examine the issues with each other. Leaders should not be considered experts nor teachers. The aim of a good leader is to facilitate an engaging discussion that explores the work.
