At this point, Richard is now a criminal as well; he knows information about a murder and is withholding it from law enforcement. As such, there is no turning back. Additionally, at various points throughout the novel, Julian and the Greek students find ways to intellectualize their violent or abusive behavior. Richard’s internal monologue about studying Greek partially serves as a precise articulation of the benefits of learning another language, while
also covering up or excusing something darker. Yes, new ideas are now available to Richard and friends that were previously inaccessible. However, these ideas involve violence and other morally dubious behavior.