Written in a time of political crisis, Cicero’s dialogue On the commonwealth (50s BCE) explores central questions of political thought: What is the ideal constitution?  What does it take to be a leader?  And is it worthwhile to get involved?  Crucially, the author maintains that political engagement is a distinctive part of what makes us human: working for the common good is not only our duty but also our natural inclination, and we may even be rewarded for our political activities in the afterlife.

What then does it mean for us to offload political activity and decision-making to Artificial Intelligence? Are we still truly human if we “solve politics” using the machine?

On Tuesday, October 27, at 6 PM, join Dr. Katharina Volk (Columbia) for this talk on Cicero’s De re publica as the third part of our Great Books for the Age of AI series this semester.