Liberalism's Vulnerabilities: Fear, AI, and the Limits of Agency

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

• "On Liberalism and Defense of Freedom" by Cass Sunstein - This book is a primary focus of the discussion, as Sunstein defends the liberal concept.
• "Manipulation" by Cass Sunstein - This book is mentioned as one of Sunstein's recent works, exploring the concept of manipulation.
• "Imperfect Oracle: On the Strengths and Limits of AI" by Cass Sunstein - This book is referenced in the context of AI and its implications.
• "Algorithmic Harm" by Cass Sunstein (co-authored) - This book is listed as one of Sunstein's recent co-authored works.
• "Climate Justice" by Cass Sunstein - This book is mentioned as one of Sunstein's recent publications.
• "1984" by George Orwell - Sunstein mentions rereading this book and discusses Orwell's complex perspective on illiberal tyranny within the novel.
• "Scarcity" by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir - Sunstein identifies this as a "pathbreaking liberal book" that focuses on agency.
• "The Road to Serfdom" by F.A. Hayek - Sunstein discusses his agreement and disagreement with the central thesis of this influential work.
• "On the Subjection of Women" by John Stuart Mill - Sunstein describes this as one of the "great liberal texts" and a foundational work for understanding the origins of "woke" ideology.
• "Hayek's book on Mill" by F.A. Hayek - Sunstein reflects on Hayek's interpretation of Mill and expresses his surprise at Hayek's portrayal.
• "Sexual Harassment of Working Women" by Catharine MacKinnon - Sunstein greatly admires this book and views it as a significant step forward in understanding sexual harassment.
• "The Arrogant Ape" by Christine Webb - Sunstein greatly admires this book for its insights on non-human animals and human exceptionalism, and its closing chapters on indigenous people's attitudes toward nature.
• "Possession" by A.S. Byatt - Sunstein identifies this as his favorite novel, praising its depiction of romance and the letters exchanged between characters.
• "Animals Matter" by Cass Sunstein - Sunstein is currently writing this book, which explores animal welfare and proposes a bill of rights for animals.
• "How to Disagree" by Cass Sunstein (forthcoming) - Sunstein mentions this as a gleam in his eye, a book he plans to write about the principles of productive disagreement.

People Mentioned

• Danny Kahneman - Sunstein quotes Kahneman on the importance of empirical evidence and the phrase "I don't know." Sunstein also references Kahneman and Tversky's work on unreliable intuitions about exotic cases.
• F.A. Hayek - Hayek's work, particularly "The Road to Serfdom" and his book on Mill, is discussed in relation to liberalism and economic thought.
• Ludwig von Mises - Sunstein expresses sympathy for Mises's "cranky, ill-tempered, elbows out enthusiasm for freedom."
• John Stuart Mill - Mills's "On the Subjection of Women" is discussed as a foundational liberal text.
• Catharine MacKinnon - Sunstein greatly admires her work on sexual harassment and pornography.
• Karl Popper - Sunstein praises Popper's insights on truth and freedom of inquiry.
• Wilhelm von Humboldt - Sunstein briefly mentions Humboldt's breadth of understanding of the human spirit as an addition to the liberal canon.
• John Dewey - Sunstein praises Dewey as "great, great, great" and quotes a sentence from him.
• Edna Ullmann-Margalit (philosopher and co-author with Sunstein) - Sunstein considers her one of the "great philosophers of the last decades," highlighting her work on the invisible hand, norms, presumptions, considerateness, and big decisions.
• John Rawls - Rawls's work on utilitarianism and his later contributions like "A Theory of Justice" and "Political Liberalism" are mentioned as significant in liberal thought.
• Ronald Dworkin - Dworkin is mentioned among a group of influential philosophers.
• Jeremy Waldron - Sunstein discusses Waldron's work on judicial review and homelessness, expressing admiration despite disagreeing with his stance on judicial review.
• Thomas Nagel - Nagel is mentioned as a frequent contributor to "Philosophy and Public Affairs" and a great liberal thinker.
• Ed Glaeser - Sunstein considers Glaeser a great liberal thinker.
• John List - Sunstein identifies List as a younger "liberal thinker."
• Esther Duflo - Sunstein considers Duflo a great liberal thinker.
• Mark Pennington - Sunstein mentions Pennington as a younger liberal thinker in the UK.
• Sendhil Mullainathan - Sunstein considers Mullainathan one of his favorite current thinkers, particularly in behavioral economics and AI, and a "great liberal thinker."
• Eldar Shafir - Shafir is the co-author of "Scarcity" with Mullainathan, a book Sunstein considers a "pathbreaking liberal book."
• Robert Goodin - Sunstein refers to Goodin as a great liberal thinker with a new journal.
• Derek Parfit - Sunstein discusses Parfit's work on contractarianism, utilitarianism, and Kantianism, and his later work on the three foundations of ethics.
• Bernard Williams - Williams is mentioned in relation to Parfit's work and as a figure engaged with other liberal thinkers.
• T.M. Scanlon - Scanlon is mentioned as a "hero" in Parfit's work.
• Christine Webb - Author of "The Arrogant Ape," which Sunstein greatly admires.
• Will Kymlicka - Sunstein mentions Kymlicka's interesting work on indigenous rights and liberalism.
• Bob Dylan - Dylan's liberalism, self-invention, and songs ("Like a Rolling Stone," "Positively 4th Street," "If You See Her, Say Hello," "Visions of Johanna," "Buckets of Rain," "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," "Idiot Wind") are extensively discussed.
• Dick York (actor in Bewitched) - Mentioned in the context of the TV show.
• Dick Sargent (actor in Bewitched) - Mentioned in the context of the TV show.
• Elizabeth Montgomery (actress in Bewitched) - Sunstein describes her as his "first crush" and praises her portrayal of the character.
• Rapaport (game theorist) - Mentioned in the context of "Rapaport rules" for disagreement.
• Daniel Dennett - Mentioned as formalizing "Rapaport rules" in a paper.

Organizations & Institutions

• Mercatus Center at George Mason University - The producer of the podcast.
• Department of Homeland Security - Sunstein worked here under the Biden administration, focusing on weather-related resilience, simplification processes, and regulatory policy.
• University of California System - Used as an example in a discussion about free speech and AI.
• Harvard's Philosophy Department - Mentioned in a discussion about the flowering of philosophical thought.
• Oxford Philosophy Department - Mentioned as having a flourishing of people engaging with one another.
• Chicago School - Mentioned as an example of a place with a flourishing of people engaged with one another.

Websites & Online Resources

• mercatus.org - Website for the Mercatus Center.
• conversationswithtyler.com - Website for the podcast, where full transcripts are available.
• Amazon - Used as an example in a discussion about libel and book descriptions.
• Twitter - Sunstein mentions using Twitter and discusses its implications for libel.

Other Resources

• Communist (as a political label) - Mentioned in the context of free speech rights and the Supreme Court case regarding a communist being forbidden from entering the US.
• Sharia law - Mentioned in the context of concerns about immigration and cultural practices.
• H2B program - A program for temporary non-agricultural workers, mentioned in the context of lawful immigration pathways.
• Trump wall, Biden wall, Obama wall - Sunstein observed these at the southern border and discussed their effectiveness and the need for infrastructure, technology, and people.
• Philosophy and Public Affairs (journal) - Mentioned as a journal that set the standard for philosophical work on liberalism.
• Political Philosophy (journal) - A new journal edited by Robert Goodin.
• Star Wars (movies) - Sunstein's preferred example of a movie that shaped his thinking about law, particularly themes of liberty and tyranny.
• Bewitched (television show) - Discussed as a TV show with a sense of "law" and rules within its magical setting.
• Bob Dylan Museum in Tulsa - Sunstein describes visiting this museum and what he learned about Dylan's creative process and approach to music.
• Woody Guthrie's holdings - Mentioned as being preserved in Tulsa by the same benefactor as the Dylan museum.
• Rapaport Rules - A set of principles for constructive disagreement, mentioned in the context of Sunstein's potential book on disagreement.