The Staying Human series
A series of talks
Our Staying Human series explores how to stay human in the emerging new era. Amidst accelerating AI, cultural confusion, fragmentation, the breakdown of trust and extreme inequality, and as concentrations of money and state power intensify, people are sensing increasing pressure. There is growing discontent.
While we recognize the realities before us, we at Together for the Common Good sense that God is drawing us into a story of renewal and a deeper appreciation of what it means to be human. Serious questions lie before us: How can we restore our common life? How can we stay human? What good are human beings? Are all lives of equal value? How we respond will shape us for generations to come.
Drawing on Catholic Social Thought and other Christian traditions, our speakers so far - Luke Bretherton, Jon Cruddas, Maurice Glasman, Susannah Black Roberts and Dan Hitchens - have responded to these critical questions, challenging us all to respond with courage and honesty.
The Staying Human series will continue in 2026.
Reimagining the Spirit of the Commons
Luke Bretherton gave the first lecture in this series in February, Reimagining the Spirit of the Commons. He investigated the question of agency through the history of the commons and enclosures. Emphasising the importance of associational life, he described how we can foster the God-shaped spaces where people can experience together what it means to be human and build meaningful agency at the grassroots.
To listen to the lecture, the Q & A, and to download the text, click here
Statecraft for the Common Good
Jon Cruddas and Maurice Glasman gave the second lecture - a lecture in two parts - in September. In Statecraft for the Common Good we discovered how the political economy and the state must be reformed to address our current crises and in light of the challenges and opportunities of AI. Rooted in Catholic Social Thought, and with broad experience in the mechanics of government, decades in grassroots and parliamentary politics, and a shared commitment as people of faith—they provided a vital platform for this critical conversation.
To listen to both lectures, the Q & A, and to download their texts, click here
Being a Person in the Age of AI
Susannah Black Roberts gave the third lecture in this series in October, taking us deeper into what it means to be human. In Being a Person in the Age of AI, Susannah investigated practical ways in which we can preserve and cultivate our humanity in a world that threatens to make us obsolete. Drawing on the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle, CS Lewis and others, Susannah proposed a creative Christian asceticism lived out through everyday practices to challenge the dopamine rush of an AI-flooded world.
To listen to Susannah’s lecture and the Q & A, and to download her text, click here
Useful Lives
Dan Hitchens gave the fourth lecture in November with Useful Lives, addressing the profound cultural shift signalled by assisted dying legislation. Dan traces the transition from the era of Cicely Saunders and the hospice movement to a new age where death is presented as a solution to what some advocates refer to as ‘useless lives.’ Setting the contemporary debate in its historical context, Dan prompts us to consider how we should respond to this hinge moment for British society.
Text and recording will be available here soon