Socrates is almost always read as a teacher, and yet he famously denied being one. Taking this denial seriously invites a reconsideration of whether his activity is best understood as the instruction of others. What if Plato’s Socrates is read not as a model teacher of virtue, politics, citizenship, or even skepticism, but as a model student? Plato’s dialogues invite us to reflect on what it means to call someone a teacher or a student, the limits and responsibilities of each, and the role of humility in pedagogy.

Stephanie Almeida Nevin is the Executive Director of the Yale Center for Civic Thought and a Lecturer in Humanities.

This event is open to all members of the Yale community. Lunch will be served.