New York Athenaeum: Freedom
Sunday Morning Coffee & Discussion: Freedom
A disciplined Sunday morning discussion examining freedom not as a slogan, but as a contested idea—shaped by power, persuasion, utility, and coercion. The goal is to surface how freedom is claimed, restricted, and rhetorically constructed across political and social contexts.
Pre-requisite readings (required)
Participants must complete all readings in advance:
Format & mechanics
All readings are completed before arrival. Please bring annotated copies of each text.
The session begins with a 10-minute blue book quiz to verify engagement with the texts.
Quizzes are graded:
Below threshold: you may remain and observe, but are not assigned a role.
Above threshold: you are assigned to one of two groups at random.
Summary group: briefly reconstructs the authors’ central arguments.
Critique group: briefly presents major objections, tensions, or failures.
A facilitator then opens discussion using Socratic questioning, grounded in the summaries and critiques.
Anyone from either group may engage.
Only one person speaks at a time.
Tone & expectations
This is not a free-form conversation. The structure is designed to reward preparation, constrain vague moralizing, and force clarity about how “freedom” functions in practice—who invokes it, who benefits, and who bears the cost. Coffee will be available. Intellectual discipline is required.
About New York Athenaeum
We are a collection of New Yorkers who feel as if our intellectual needs are unmet. The Athenaeum is designed to facilitate independence of mind and holds truth seeking as our highest ideal.