A Discussion on the Desirability of Mass Automation and Universal Basic Income with Marius Ostrowski
Part of the Boundaries of Humanity Discussion Series
Tuesday 3 March 2026, 5.30pm - 7pm
Online - Please contact Andrew Moeller to express interest regarding the readings and video call link: andrew.moeller@history.ox.ac.uk.
The particular topic under focus this week will be mass automation and universal basic income.
Boundaries of Humanity Discussion Group Series
With the rapid development of AI and biotechnologies (including those relating to germline gene editing, brain-computer Interfaces, life extension, etc.) come vast powers to reshape ourselves and the natural world. As technological advances grant us new powers, so do they blur some boundaries between humans, animals, and machines, prodding us to ask the question: what does it mean to be human?
Drawing upon readings in the humanities (including philosophy, theology, literature, etc.) and the sciences, this group will attempt to bridge the existential and empirical study of human identity - and within that context, ask if and how such reflections might help chart a path forward in relation to the right uses of new and potent technologies. We will focus in particular on questions of human purpose, place, and flourishing within the natural order.
The reading group is open to students at all levels of study (including medical students), as well as faculty. We will meet for about 1 hour, twice per term.
Under the umbrella of the medical humanities, this will be a casual reading and discussion group. The readings for each session will be introduced by a different participant - and the readings for each session will take a total of roughly 1 hour to complete.
Special Guest
Marius Ostrowski will be joining us to talk about mass automation and universal basic income. Marius is a political theorist and intellectual historian currently serving as an ESRC Policy Fellow and researcher at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Magdalen College, Oxford, and completed an MPhil in Political Theory and a DPhil in Politics at Oxford. His research focuses on ideology, social democracy, and normative political theory, with an interest in universal basic income. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Political Ideologies and is known for linking historical and theoretical insight to contemporary policy debates.
