How it works
Read, reflect, discuss, write.
Good Society Readings is a free, mobile-first space for thinking out loud. You read a short classic text, reflect on it privately, then — if you want — discuss it with a small circle of peers. At the end, you write a short personal manifesto.
Step one
Read something worth disagreeing with.
The programme is built around four short public-domain texts — old ideas about how to live, think, and build a good society. Each one is short enough to read on a phone.
There are no quizzes and no right answers. The point is to let the idea get under your skin before you decide what you think.
Step two
Reflect before you discuss.
After each reading, you answer a few guided prompts. Your reflections are private — only you can see them. They are not graded, shared, or commented on.
This is where you do the private work of figuring out what you actually believe, before anyone else has a say.
Step three
Join a circle.
A circle is a small group that meets live to discuss one reading at a time. Each circle has one host and up to fifteen participants — sixteen people in total.
You can join a public circle that anyone can sign up for, or get invited to a private circle run by a school, friend, or facilitator. The host's job is to keep the conversation generous and focused, not to lecture or give answers.
For hosts
Starting a circle.
Anyone can start a circle. You choose whether it is public or private, set the maximum size, and pick when it meets.
- Public circles appear in the list and anyone can request to join.
- Private circles are invite-only. You share a link or send invitations directly.
- Size limit: up to fifteen participants plus one host.
- Scheduling: set one-off or recurring sessions, and let members see the time in their own zone.
Hosts get a simple guide for each session — suggested questions, timing, and ways to draw out disagreement without letting anyone dominate. You do not need to be an expert on the text.
Step four
Write your manifesto.
After the fourth reading, you write one short personal manifesto — a statement of what you believe about building a good life and a just world.
You can keep it private or choose to publish it. There are no likes, comments, or rankings. It is simply your thinking, made visible if you want it to be.
Start with a reading.
You do not need to sign up or join a circle to begin. Read the first text, see how the prompts feel, and decide later whether you want to reflect and discuss it with others.