What does it take to speak candidly when honesty carries real consequences, and how should leaders respond when people tell them something they don’t want to hear? In his new book “How to Speak Freely,” Cornell professor and classicist Michael Fontaine explores two sharply contrasting ancient perspectives.
The first, “Plato’s Apology,” presents Socrates defending his duty to question authority, think independently, and speak according to conscience, even at the cost of his life. The second, Lucian’s comic dialogue “The Gods in Council,” shows what happens when a leader promises open discussion and an offensive subordinate takes him at his word.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff moderates this interactive discussion in which he and Professor Fontaine examine how these important works illuminate the value, risks, and practical challenges of encouraging candid speech within organizations and institutions.
This event is co-sponsored by
Cornell University’s Program on Freedom and Free Societies.
