In the age of AI, what has happened to the dream of democracy, the faith that we can collectively govern ourselves?
Monday and Wednesday - 12:00-1:15 PM with Professor Marc Aidinoff
This course takes three approaches to addressing this urgent question, and in the process asks students to develop their own conceptions of citizenship and moral action. First, the core method is historical. With a focus on the postwar United States, we will examine how a wide range of actors have used digital technologies to remake the basic building blocks of government. Second, a range of theoretical traditions will elucidate how core democratic concepts and aspirations including freedom, fairness, and citizenship have evolved. Third, we will ground this abstract analysis in concrete policy problems, with special attention to open contentious issues including automation, racial discrimination, health, encryption, safety, surveillance, and wealth inequality.
