This discussion group is devoted to the study and discussion of the work of the late Seth Benardete, a classicist at New York University. Benardete was most famous for his ability to decipher various longstanding puzzles of interpretation presented, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not, by the titans of Greek and Roman literature. In other words, he was a bit of an archaeologist, but one who subordinated such detective work to the greater philosophic issues involved. Many have envied him on this basis, but the greater majority have grown frustrated that he is not more accessible to a light reading of the classics. This group is devoted to those who seek to remedy their frustration.

Benardete's primary focus was Plato, through whom he understood, as in a lens refracted and focused, the philosophic roots of the plays and poetry of Greeks and Romans. Whether he always saw clearly is for others to judge, and no one should surrender his intellect to another if he can help it. But this group is dedicated to finding out what Benardete did see, and why he saw it the way he did, for the good it may do us in making our own interpretations of works and the world.