The Return of the Good in the Age of AI
Relational Selfhood, Digital Commons, and the Ethics of Planetary Democracy
Will be published approx. on 16. June 2026
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-0353-2069-1 (ISBN)
Description
In an era marked by technological acceleration, planetary fragility and democratic uncertainty, can the idea of 'the Good' be reclaimed without reviving the metaphysical teleologies of the past? Mark Olssen reconstructs 'the Good' as a post-teleological and relational concept grounded not in fixed ends but in the shared conditions that enable life, agency and collective judgment to endure over time.
Drawing on political theory, public choice, complexity thinking and contemporary debates on artificial intelligence, the book argues that 'the Good' lies in sustaining the ecological, institutional, epistemic and educational infrastructures that make freedom and meaning possible within an interdependent world. Moving across democracy, ethics, education, water governance and digital transformation, Olssen deepens and extends his theory of continuance ethics, showing how responsibility can be understood in terms of preserving the conditions for future agency rather than conforming to a singular vision of the good life.
Against both foundational moralism and relativistic fragmentation, The Return of the Good in the Age of AI offers a distinctive normative vocabulary for governing under conditions of uncertainty, complexity and technological power. It will be essential reading for scholars and advanced students of political theory, public policy, philosophy, education, sociology and economics seeking to rethink ethics and democracy in a planetary and digital age.
Drawing on political theory, public choice, complexity thinking and contemporary debates on artificial intelligence, the book argues that 'the Good' lies in sustaining the ecological, institutional, epistemic and educational infrastructures that make freedom and meaning possible within an interdependent world. Moving across democracy, ethics, education, water governance and digital transformation, Olssen deepens and extends his theory of continuance ethics, showing how responsibility can be understood in terms of preserving the conditions for future agency rather than conforming to a singular vision of the good life.
Against both foundational moralism and relativistic fragmentation, The Return of the Good in the Age of AI offers a distinctive normative vocabulary for governing under conditions of uncertainty, complexity and technological power. It will be essential reading for scholars and advanced students of political theory, public policy, philosophy, education, sociology and economics seeking to rethink ethics and democracy in a planetary and digital age.
Reviews / Votes
'Olssen's new book outlines a political philosophy for our times. It rehabilitates freedom and the Good in and for a fragile world beset by polycrises. The argument for continuance ethics and shared flourishing is desperately relevant and urgently compelling. This is a thesis that demands to be taken seriously.' -- Stephen Ball, University College London, UK 'Mark Olssen's The Return of the Good in the Age of AI is a bold and timely intervention. He masterfully rehabilitates the Good as an emergent horizon of life-continuance, offering a powerful post-teleological ethics that integrates complexity theory and relational selfhood for planetary democracy, AI governance, and ecological flourishing.' -- Michael A. Peters, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), USA 'For much of the 20th century and into our day the concept of "The Common Good" has been rejected by most political theorists. Mark Olssen provides a much-needed corrective to this treatment. He defines the common good not in terms of an abstract moral principle or a final end but as referring to the conditions and practices under which freedom remains possible. He illustrates the common good in terms of our shared interest in adaptive capability with a discussion of global democracy, AI, the care of global water resources and the value to be attached to education. His perspective therefore will appeal not only to academics and students but also to those concerned with practical policy making.' -- Frank Vibert, London School of Economics, UKMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2069-1 (9781035320691)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Mark Olssen, Professor of Political Theory and Higher Education Policy, Department of Politics, School of Social Sciences, University of Surrey, UK
Content
Contents
1 The demise of the classical worldview
2 Twentieth-century liberal alternatives to the good
3 Arguing for the public good
4 The complexity turn: Systems, uncertainty, and the good
5 Will, purpose, and the emergent good
6 Democracy as a global good
7 ChatGPT and the good - AI, relational selfhood, and the
emergent ethics of the collective
8 Water as a global good: Ethics, ecology, and the politics of care
9 Education and the planetary good
10 Conclusion: The good of life continuance - unity, constraint,
and freedom
1 The demise of the classical worldview
2 Twentieth-century liberal alternatives to the good
3 Arguing for the public good
4 The complexity turn: Systems, uncertainty, and the good
5 Will, purpose, and the emergent good
6 Democracy as a global good
7 ChatGPT and the good - AI, relational selfhood, and the
emergent ethics of the collective
8 Water as a global good: Ethics, ecology, and the politics of care
9 Education and the planetary good
10 Conclusion: The good of life continuance - unity, constraint,
and freedom