Nashville Great Books Discussion Group

A reader's group devoted to the discussion of meaningful books.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Great Books Fall Reading Schedule (2022)

 6 Sep-- Dostoevsky, Brothers Karamazov, Book XII, Ch. 6–14; Epilogue

13 Sep-- Pascal, Pensées, handout pages 1–16

20 Sep-- Pensées, handout pages 17–32

27 Sep-- Pensées, handout pages 33–49

4 Oct-- Milton, Paradise Lost, I, II

11 Oct-- Paradise Lost, III, IV

18 Oct-- Paradise Lost, V, VI (Argument only), VII (Argument only), VIII

25 Oct-- Paradise Lost, IX, X (to line 228)

1 Nov-- Paradise Lost, X (from line 229), XI (to line 428), XII (from line 372 to end)

8 Nov-- Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, through 1st half of Preliminary Expectoration1 Handout to p. 85 (middle)

15 Nov-- Fear and Trembling, 2nd half of Preliminary Expectoration, Problem I, Epilogue Remainder of handout

22 Nov-- Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, Preface, I

29 Nov-- Beyond Good and Evil, II, III

6 Dec-- Beyond Good and Evil, IV, V

13 Dec-- Beyond Good and Evil, VI, VII

20 Dec-- Beyond Good and Evil, VIII, IX

27 Dec-- Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground, I

3 Jan-- Notes from Underground, II, 1–5

10 Jan-- Notes from Underground, II, 6–10

Thursday, June 09, 2022

Great Books Schedule for June-August 2022


  • 2022-06-07: Aristotle, Poetics, Ch. 11–19
  • 2022-06-14: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book I
  • 2022-06-21: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book II
  • 2022-06-28: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book III
  • 2022-07-05: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book IV
  • 2022-07-12: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book V
  • 2022-07-19: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book VI
  • 2022-07-26: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book VII; Book VIII, Ch. 1-3
  • 2022-08-02: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book VIII, Ch. 4-8
  • 2022-08-09: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book IX
  • 2022-08-16: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book X
  • 2022-08-23: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book XI, Ch. 1-8
  • 2022-08-30: Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book XI, Ch. 9-10; Book XII, Ch. 1-5

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

 The Nashville Great Books Reading Group is meeting on Tuesdays between 4:45 pm and 6:00 pm by Zoom video conference (at https://lifeway.zoom.us/j/5538588985) through the end of 2021 when we will reconsider resuming in person meetings at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library (but probably still supporting those members who wish to attend via video conference). Our schedule of upcoming readings is:


* 2021-12-14 = Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD (chapter 7-10)

* 2021-12-21 = Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD (chapter 11-14)

* 2021-12-28 = Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD (chapter 15-18)

* 2022-01-04 = Aeschylus, AGAMEMNON, first half (through Agamemnon's first speech)

* 2022-01-11 = Aeschylus, AGAMEMNON, second half

* 2022-01-18 = Aeschylus, THE LIBATION BEARERS

* 2022-01-25 = Aeschylus, THE EUMENIDES

* 2022-02-01 = Plato, GORGIAS, through 461B (Socrates/Gorgias)

* 2022-02-08 = Plato, GORGIAS, through 461B-481B (Socrates/Polus)

* 2022-02-15 = Plato, GORGIAS, through 481B-505C (Socrates/Callicles 1)

* 2022-02-22 = Plato, GORGIAS, through 505C-to end (Socrates/Callicles 2)

* 2022-03-01 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 1 (1-88)

* 2022-03-08 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 1 (89-146; part 2 (1-32)

* 2022-03-15 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 2 (33-78; part 3 (1-50)

* 2022-03-22 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 3 (51-87; part 4 (1-51)

* 2022-03-29 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 4 (52-135)

* 2022-04-05 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 5 (1-26, 40-48, 84-116; part 6 (1-29)

* 2022-04-12 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 6 (30-105)

* 2022-04-19 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 7

* 2022-04-26 = Thucydides, PELOPONNESIAN WAR, part 8 (1-6, 45-109)

* 2022-05-03 = Plato, Symposium, through 198A (First five speeches, through Agathon)

* 2022-05-10 = Plato, Symposium, 198A to end

* 2022-05-17 = Sophocles, OEDIPUS TYRANNUS, first half (stopping before Oedipus' long speech)

* 2022-05-24 = Sophocles, OEDIPUS TYRANNUS, second half

* 2022-05-31 = Aristotle, POETICS, Chapter 1-10

* 2022-06-07 = Aristotle, POETICS, Chapter 11-19

[ Reg notes: "Due to differences  among editions, some readings from Aeschylus and Sophocles are described with respect to character speeches rather than line numbering. In each case, the intended division is near the center of the respective play. Notes about speeches for the two Platonic dialogues are intended only as a complement to the divisions according to Stephanus numbering, which should be consistent across any editions where it appears." ]


Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Great Books in the Pandemic Year of Our Decline

 Until such time as the restrictions on public gatherings are lifted, all future meetings of the Nashville Great Books Reading Group will be virtual.  For additional information on how to participate in these meetings, please contact the discussion leader, Reg Dunn (reg.dunn@gmail.com)


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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Great Books Reading Schedule - Spring, 2020

 3 March - Plato, Phaedo, 77a to 102a
10 March - Phaedo, 102a to end
17 March - Shakespeare, As You Like It, through Act 3, Scene 2
24 March - As You Like It, Act 3, Scene 3 to end
31 March - Montaigne, To The Reader, Of Friendship, Of Cannibals
 7 April -   Montaigne, Of Cruelty, Of Repentance
14 April -  Machiavelli, The Prince, Dedicatory letter, Ch. 1–8
21 April - The Prince, Ch. 9–18
28 April -  The Prince, Ch. 19–26
 5 May  -  Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, Dedicatory letter; Book I, Preface, Ch. 1–10
12 May -  Discourses on Livy, Book I, Ch. 11–28
19 May -  Discourses on Livy, Book I, Ch. 58–60; Book II, Preface, Ch. 1–5
26 May  - Shakespeare, Richard II, Acts 1 & 2

Monday, December 02, 2019

Great Books Reading Schedule for Winter 2019-2020

DATE      READING                                                                                    

(all Tocqueville page numbers refer to handout)

 3  Dec . Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol .1 selections ( pp.2-19) 
10 Dec.  Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 1 selections ( pp.20-46)
17 Dec.  Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 1 selections ( pp. 47-71)
24 Dec.   NO MEETING
31 Dec.  Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol.II, Part 1, Ch. 1-3, 5
-7 Jan.    Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol.II, Part 2, Ch. 1-12
14 Jan.   Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol.II, Part 2, Ch. 13-15; Part. 3, Ch.1; Part.4, Ch.6-8
21 Jan.   Aristophanes, CLOUDS, 1st half
28 Jan.   Aristophanes, CLOUDS, 2nd half
-4 Feb.  Plato, EUTHYPHRO
11 Feb. Plato, APOLOGY OF SOCRATES, to 35d
18 Feb. Plato, APOLOGY OF SOCRATES, 35e to end;  Plato: CRITO
25 Feb. Plato, PHAEDO, to 77a


Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Late Summer and Fall Reading Schedule

     American Documents

10 Sept. - Declaration of Independence

17 Sept. - U.S. Constitution (without amendments)

24 Sept.- Madison, Hamilton, Jay, The Federalist 1,2, 6

  1 Oct. - The Federalist 9, 10, 14

  8 Oct. - The Federalist 15, 16, 23

15 Oct. - The Federalist 37, 38, 39

22 Oct. - The Federalist 47, 48, 49, 51

29 Oct. - The Federalist 57, 62, 63

  5 Nov. - The Federalist 68, 69, 70

12 Nov. - The Federalist 76, 78, 81

19 Nov. - Marbury v. Madison

26 Nov. - The Federalist 84, 85,

                 Constitutional amendments 1-10