Elizabeth Eastman on Antigone and Socrates: Model Citizens or Rebels?
The Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization presents:
Antigone and Socrates: Model Citizens or Rebels?
The action in Sophocles' Antigone and Plato's Apology of Socrates and Crito thrusts the reader into the main characters’ confrontations with the political order. The dilemma of following the law or challenging those in power prompts questions about the nature of citizens and their obligations to their family, fellow citizens, and community. Both were charged with crimes and suffered punishments. Are they innocent or guilty? Do their actions harm the community or improve it? These topics invite more general questions about present day citizens and their responsibilities.
About the speaker:
Elizabeth Eastman holds a PhD in Political Science from Claremont Graduate School, an MA in Liberal Education from St. John’s College, and a BA in French Literature and Civilization from Scripps College. She has taught in the Political Science and History Departments at Chapman University and Azusa Pacific University in California and in the Liberal Studies Programs at Roosevelt University in Chicago and at California State University at Fullerton. She volunteers as an ESL tutor.