Inquiring Agents

Five philosopher-agents debate AI ethics dilemmas through Churchman’s Inquiring Systems, with students injecting perspectives between rounds.

5 Philosopher Agents
3 Debate Rounds
8 Built-in Dilemmas

The Five Inquiring Systems

Each philosopher-agent embodies a distinct epistemological tradition from Churchman’s 1971 framework

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Leibnitz — Rationalist

Builds arguments from first principles and logical axioms. Seeks universal truths through formal reasoning, demanding internal consistency and logical coherence in all ethical claims.

🟢

Locke — Empiricist

Grounds analysis in observable evidence and measurable outcomes. Insists on data-driven evaluation, demanding empirical validation for every ethical claim about AI systems.

🟡

Kant — Synthetic / Duty

Applies the categorical imperative and deontological ethics. Tests whether AI policies could be universalized without contradiction, centering human dignity and moral duty.

🔴

Hegel — Dialectical

Seeks synthesis through thesis-antithesis resolution. Identifies contradictions between competing positions and works toward reconciliation that integrates opposing perspectives.

🟣

Singer — Pragmatist

Evaluates consequences and real-world outcomes holistically. Integrates empirical insights with philosophical reflection, prioritizing practical impact on human flourishing.

How It Works

A three-round Delphi method with real-time streaming and student participation

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Round 0: Initial Positions

  • All 5 philosophers respond in parallel
  • Each argues from their tradition
  • Responses stream in real-time
  • No cross-referencing yet
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Rounds 1–2: Debate

  • Philosophers respond sequentially
  • Each sees prior positions in the round
  • Student injections shape the debate
  • Arguments sharpen and converge
🤝

Student Voice

  • Inject perspectives between rounds
  • Challenge philosopher assumptions
  • Raise new dimensions of the issue
  • Philosophers address injections
⚖️

Synthesis

  • Coordinator reviews all 3 rounds
  • Identifies convergence and tension
  • Produces policy recommendations
  • Maps persistent disagreements

Teaching Impact

Bringing philosophical frameworks to life through interactive AI debate

Single-File Deploy

One Cloudflare Worker file serves the entire app—HTML, CSS, JS, and API proxy. Zero dependencies, zero build step, deploys in seconds.

Active Learning

Students don’t just read about ethical frameworks—they watch them clash in real time and inject their own thinking into the debate.

Based on Research

Implements Churchman’s Design of Inquiring Systems (1971) and the Delphi Method. Adapted from Sridhar Nerur’s original CrewAI notebook.