Alexis de Tocqueville warned that democracies face a soft despotism that enervates rather than enslaves. Could technology be its latest form? This panel draws on political philosophy, mimetic theory, jurisprudence, and the ethics of innovation to examine AI and digital technology's double-edged nature; its power to empower and connect, and its equal power to manipulate desire, erode virtue, and concentrate power. The real crisis is not about technology. It's about us.
Course Year:
2026
Panel Participants
Dan Churchwell
Director of Programs and Education
Acton Institute
Luke Burgis
Founder / Professor
The Cluny Institute / The Catholic University of America
Sarah Gustafson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The Catholic University of America
Adam J. MacLeod, J.D.
Professor of Law
St. Mary's University
