The Erosion of Human Decision-Making

Masterclass on Emerging Literacies

To discuss the impact of Big Data and AI on human liberty and decision-making.

In sociology and technology, B × C × D = AHH! is a famous conceptual formula coined by historian Yuval Noah Harari at the World Economic Forum. It warns against the rise of digital dictatorships and the ability to control human behavior.

The variables stand for:

B = Biological knowledge
C = Computing power
D = Data
AHH! = The ability to hack humans

Key Takeaways

• The Human Hacking Formula (b x c x d = ahh): The convergence of Biological knowledge, Computing power, and Data creates algorithms that can understand and manipulate humans better than we understand ourselves, eroding free will.

• AI's Ethical Advantage: AI can make more consistent ethical decisions than humans. It can be programmed to follow rules (like Kant) with the precision of an expert (like Schumacher), overcoming human biases and emotional failures.

• The Pendulum Swings to Dictatorship: AI makes centralized data processing vastly more efficient. This could reverse the 20th-century advantage of democracies, enabling 21st-century digital dictatorships with total surveillance and control.

• The Teacher's New Role: Teachers must shift from information processors to thought-provokers, preparing students for a future where philosophy and critical thinking are essential skills for navigating AI's ethical and societal challenges.

Topics

The Human Hacking Formula

• The formula b x c x d = ahh (Biological knowledge + Computing power + Data = Algorithms) creates systems that can understand and manipulate humans better than we understand ourselves.

• This erodes free will, as feelings are revealed to be hackable biochemical algorithms for survival, not a source of ultimate authority.

• Authority is shifting from human feelings to big data algorithms, making governments and traditional systems increasingly irrelevant.

The Erosion of Human Decision-Making

• Over-reliance on AI (e.g., Google Maps) atrophies human skills like navigation, leading to incidents like the Japanese tourists driving into the ocean.

• AI could soon make major life decisions (careers, relationships) more effectively than humans, rendering traditional concepts like free markets and democratic elections obsolete.

• This future requires a new model for human life, as it ceases to be a "drama of decision-making."

AI's Ethical Advantage: The Schumacher-Kant Team

• AI can make more consistent ethical decisions than humans, who often fail to act on their principles under pressure.

  • Example: The Princeton Theological Seminary experiment showed students, despite discussing the "Good Samaritan" parable, ignored a person in distress when told they were late for a lecture.

• AI can be programmed to follow ethical guidelines without emotion or instinct, creating a "Schumacher-Kant team" (driving skill + philosophical ethics).

• This transforms ethical theory into a practical engineering problem, where philosophers could be sued for the real-world consequences of their code.

The Threat of Digital Dictatorship

• The real danger of AI is not rebellion, but blind obedience to its human masters.

• Military Application: Killer robots could prevent atrocities driven by human emotion (e.g., My Lai massacre) but would also execute ruthless orders without hesitation (e.g., Srebrenica).

• Surveillance Risk: Powerful surveillance algorithms enable total control.

  • Example: The Israeli security forces' use of AI in the West Bank, where a translation error led to a Palestinian's arrest.

• Authoritarian Advantage: AI makes centralized data processing vastly more efficient.

  • Example: A government that mandates sharing all medical data could gain a decisive advantage in research over societies that protect privacy.

• This could reverse the 20th-century advantage of democracies, leading to a "digital dictatorship" where resistance is impossible.

The Teacher's New Role

• Teachers must shift from information processors to thought-provokers, preparing students for a future where philosophy and critical thinking are essential.

• Key Takeaways for Educators:

  1. Philosophy is a science: The humanities/science distinction is obsolete; philosophy is now a practical skill for engineering ethical AI.

  2. Decisions for the greater good: AI's ability to make consistent ethical choices highlights the need for humans to define and prioritize collective well-being.

  3. Harari is a futurist: His 12-year-old predictions are becoming reality, demonstrating the urgency for educators to prepare students for a future that is already arriving.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt: Continue the reading of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century in the next masterclass (Aug 29, 5:30 PM).

• All Participants:

  • Reflect on the session's themes, especially the BCD=AHH formula and the ethical implications of AI.

  • Consider attending Brinda Ma'am's new book club for Educated by Tara Westover (starting Aug 29, 3:30 PM). 

    
    

    
    

    FATHOM AI assisted post.

Immersive Storytelling Session on Sundays - Sapna Rai

To 

Ms Brinda Ghosh
Coach and Mentor, My Good School
Good Schools Alliance

Dear Ms. Brinda,

Thank you for leading such a wonderful, immersive storytelling session covering Gerald Durrell’s “My Family and Other Animals”.

Attending the My Good School Webinar reinforced for me that reading must move beyond traditional assessments to spark curiosity, empathy, and reflective thinking. Your session was a prime example of this philosophy in action.

Highlights of the Session

Vivid Characterisation & Humour: You effortlessly brought the quirky Durrell family and Corfu's vibrant wildlife to life, keeping the audience completely captivated.

Fostering Empathy & Curiosity: By highlighting Gerald’s keen observations of nature and animals, you helped us connect deeply with the story’s underlying spirit of discovery.

Expressive & Dynamic Delivery: Your rhythm, vocal Modulation, and engaging storytelling made the reading experience joyous, interactive, and truly memorable.

Reflection & Acknowledgments

I plan to channel the valuable insights gained from our expert mentors into building purposeful, joyful, and reflective Sunday reading experiences for my students in the classroom.

My heartfelt gratitude to the organisers for providing such an impactful professional growth opportunity, and special thanks to our school management for giving us a platform that continually nurtures our teaching and learning journey.

Sincerely,

Sapna Rai

PGT Teacher, Sunbeam School, Mau

Do you have The Courage To Be Happy?

 Summary by Fathom

This was the final Masterclass session in which the group discussed the concluding chapter of their book study, focusing on themes of re-choosing one’s lifestyle, love, self-reliance, and the courage to be happy. Gurdeep led the discussion through Adler’s philosophical concepts of love as an act of faith and courage, emphasising that true happiness comes from contributing to others and cultivating a sense of community rather than seeking an easy life. At the end of the session, Gurdeep announced that the masterclass would take a break during June and resume on July 4 with a new book titled “Human Edge in the World of AI.”

Meeting Summary:

1. Reflections on Love and Relationships

• Gurdeep Kaur discusses the end of a relationship and the compromises made within it.

• The conversation explores the nature of love, happiness, and the responsibilities that come with relationships.

• The importance of courage in love is emphasised, suggesting that true love requires commitment and the willingness to face challenges together.

2. Philosophical Insights on Happiness

• The discussion highlights that love is essential for achieving self-reliance and community feeling.

• Gurdeep Kaur stresses that real happiness comes from loving others rather than seeking an easy life.

• The idea that one contributes to others simply by being present is introduced, challenging the notion that contribution requires visible actions.

3. Final Meeting and Future Steps

• The meeting is concluded as the final session of the book study.

• Participants are encouraged to apply Adler’s ideas in their lives and to update them for contemporary relevance.

• Gurdeep Kaur emphasises the importance of building meaningful relationships now to ensure a satisfactory parting in the future.

• The conversation ends with a call to action, encouraging participants to embrace chaos and continue their journey in the real world.

Key takeaway from today’s reading of the last chapter of the book The Courage To Be Happy: “The answers should not be something you get from someone else, but something you arrive at on your own.” 

Enjoyed the reading session led by Gurdeep ma’am and Sandeep sir. This will stay with me forever.

Akanksha Rai, Sunbeam School Ballia

Philosophy and Religion: A Comparative Analysis

Sandeep Dutt’s Masterclass 2026

February 14, 5:20 pm, 48 min

 

Sandeep Dutt’s Masterclass discussed the book “The Courage to Be Happy,” which explores the concept of courage to be happy in a challenging world. The book features a dialogue between a young person and a philosopher that addresses the youth’s need for courage. The discussion delved into Adlerian psychology, questioning its classification as a science due to its lack of falsifiability. The conversation also explored the distinction between philosophy and religion, emphasising philosophy’s continuous quest for wisdom. The session concluded with a focus on education as self-reliance, highlighting the importance of human knowledge and relationships in the learning process.

Why We Return to Teachers

 

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

To introduce the book The Courage to be Happy by Ishiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, and its core themes.

Key Takeaways

• New Book Study: The group is starting The Courage to be Happy, the sequel to The Courage to be Disliked, to explore Alfred Adler’s psychology of happiness.

• Book’s Premise: The book opens with a teacher (Harshita) who, after three years, is disillusioned with Adler’s ideas, finding them impractical in the real world.

• Core Conflict: The teacher’s main struggle is with Adler’s “no praise, no rebuke” principle, which she feels led to an unruly class and forced her to revert to traditional discipline.

• Central Theme: The philosopher’s response is that the teacher’s problem stems from a misunderstanding of Adler’s concept of “love,” which is presented as the ultimate test of courage.

Topics

Book Introduction: The Courage to be Happy

• Context: The sequel to The Courage to be Disliked, this book continues the dialogue between a Philosopher (Sandeep Dutt) and a Youth (Harshita Dalawat).

• Goal: To find “true contentment” by exploring Adler’s psychology, which the book’s authors claim was 100 years ahead of its time.

• Key Adlerian Concepts from Book 1:

  • All problems are interpersonal.

  • Freedom is being disliked.

  • Happiness is a choice in the “here and now.”

The Teacher’s Dilemma

• The Youth (Harshita): Now a teacher, she is disillusioned with Adler’s ideas after three years of trying to apply them in a classroom.

• Core Problem: The “no praise, no rebuke” principle, which she followed faithfully, resulted in an “unruly class.”

• Result: She felt forced to abandon Adler’s methods and revert to traditional discipline (rebuke, punishment), viewing Adler’s philosophy as “quackery” and “empty idealism.”

The Philosopher’s Response

• Adler’s Ideas as a Prescription: The philosopher compares Adler’s ideas to “eyeglass lenses”—a tool that can broaden vision for some but may not be a universal fit.

• The “Stairway of Understanding”: The philosopher argues that the teacher has not yet found the correct path to understanding Adler.

• The “Biggest Choice in Life”: The philosopher identifies the teacher’s core issue as a failure to make this choice, which is defined as “love.”

  • Adler’s “Love”: Not a simple emotion, but “the harshest and most courage-testing task of all.”

  • Happiness as a Journey: It requires continuous effort, not a magical, one-time event.

Discussion: Why We Return to Teachers

• Initial Responses: Participants cited reasons like clearing doubts, seeking advice, or sharing success.

• Philosopher’s Correction: These are secondary reasons. The primary, unspoken motivation is “love.”

  • Rationale: Love is the pure, powerful bond that attracts students to a true teacher, distinguishing it from a transactional relationship with a tutor.

  • Connection to Adler: This bond of love is the fundamental principle of Adler’s philosophy.

Next Steps

• All Participants:

  • Read The Courage to be Happy for the next session.

  • Reflect on the concept of “love” in the teacher-student relationship.

• Diana L Kahmei:

  • Recruit a teacher to join the Masterclass.

• Minakshi Prasad:

  • Confirm Sunday meeting details with Vikram.

We walk on a long pole in the dark

Not all truths live in numbers.

Not all answers come from proofs.

Some truths whisper softly through feelings, courage, and connection.

Life is not a laboratory.

It is a journey of the heart.

We walk on a long pole in the dark, step by step, not knowing where it ends.

Yet we walk.

We question.

We search.

Because truth is not handed to us, it is discovered.

Some stop midway and accept ready-made answers.

But philosophy teaches us

to keep walking,

to keep wondering,

to keep asking - Why?

Growth begins where blind belief ends.

Happiness is not found in winning over others, 

nor in comparing lives.

It grows quietly when we contribute, 

when we care, 

when we feel useful to someone, somewhere.

We are not prisoners of our past.

We are not defined by yesterday.

Every day, we choose who we want to be.

Freedom begins the moment blame ends.

Courage is not loud.

It is gentle.

It is the small voice that says -

“Walk anyway.”

“Think for yourself.”

“Be kind.”

“Be different.”

“Be you.”

Perhaps that is the real lesson:

Not to seek a perfect life,

but a meaningful one.

Not to be liked by everyone,

but to live truthfully.

And to keep walking the pole…

even in the dark.

Akanksha Pandey

Sunbeam School Mughalsarai