The philologist Georgia Sermamoglou-Soulmaidi and the cinematographer Lysandros Tsichritzis will join us for a weekend dedicated to philosophy and cinema. The topic to be discussed is whether and to what extent a political system can restrict individual freedom in service of a social good, based on Plato’s Republic, and we will explore it by watching films and discussing it.

In the discussion we focus on those parts of the Republic in which Plato presents his views on the ideal political system. According to Plato, the ideal republic aims to conquer virtue, but also includes imposition and paternalistic features. Can a political system restrict individual freedom in service of a social good and, if yes, to what extent is this possible?

The films, each in its own way, deal with the matter of freedom and, opposite to it, the matter of self-entrapping. The films are mentioned below.

A discussion in the form of a debate follows the films’ screenings, with arguments derived from both the texts and the films: does the end justify the means? To what extent would we allow for the restriction of our freedom? How can one avoid the risk of propaganda and manipulation?

More about the trainers:

Georgia Sermamoglou-Soulmaidi holds a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Virginia. She has taught at the University of Patras and the Hellenic Open University and she has worked as a post doctorate researcher at the University of Goettingen. She is the author of Playful Philosophy and Serious Sophistry: A Reading of Plato’s “Euthydemus.” She has co-edited a collection of essays on Wisdom, Love and Friendship in Ancient Philosophy in honor of Daniel Devereux, forthcoming from De Gruyter. In 2013 she founded the educational organization Greek Studies on Site, which organizes seminars for English-speaking students of classical philology and philosophy.

Lysandros Tsichritzis holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Crete and a postgraduate diploma in Computer Science by the City College of ΝΥ (USA). During the duration of his studies and until today he has been working at different positions in film production either as an employee or as an independent cinematographer by organizing his own personal projects. He believes that a person should find their inner balance between logic and sentiment in order to find life balance, too. The workshop is combination of these two things.

Agenda:

Saturday, 19 October 2019

11:00 – 2:00 Philosophy
Analysis of select excerpts from Plato’s Republic

5:00 – 8:00 Cinema
Film (Duration: 106’)
Break (15’)
Film discussion (60’)

Sunday, 20 October 2019

11:00 – 2:00 Cinema
Film (Duration: 110’)
Break (15’)
Film discussion (60’)

5:00 – 8:00 Philosophy
Final discussion in debate format regarding the political system suggested by Plato and the restriction of personal freedom, based on arguments from both the texts and the films.