Watch Classical Greece for free

Three leading scholars explore key facets of Classical Greek society, including Athenian democracy, the role of religion, and Aristotle’s enduring philosophical method. Featured experts include Josiah Ober (Stanford University), Richard Janko (University of Michigan), and Susan Wolf (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Josiah Ober, classicist and political theorist (Stanford), examines Athenian democracy as a powerful counterexample to Robert Michels’ “Iron Law of Oligarchy,” which holds that all forms of democracy inevitably lead to elite rule. Richard Janko (Michigan) highlights the surprising sensitivity of Classical Athens to religious transgression, challenging modern assumptions about the secularism of ancient Greek society—particularly in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War. Susan Wolf (UNC Chapel Hill) introduces Aristotle’s endoxic method, a philosophical approach that integrates common beliefs and expert opinions—a method she argues remains relevant for thinking through moral and political questions today.