Dennis Stevens, Ed.D. | Narrative Philosopher, Veteran Educator, Founder of Sempergeist

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The Libertarian Laboratory: What Grand Theft Auto Proves About Nozick’s Minimal State

moral imagination

The Libertarian Laboratory: What Grand Theft Auto Proves About Nozick’s Minimal State

This essay argues that Grand Theft Auto functions as a virtual test of Robert Nozick’s minimal state theory. What begins as chaotic anarchy evolves into self-organizing protection rackets, mirroring how Nozick predicted real states emerge from pure negative freedom.

Beyond Compliance: A Campfire Approach to AI Governance

Beyond Compliance: A Campfire Approach to AI Governance

This article asks: what does civically engaged AI governance look like? True oversight goes beyond checklists; it’s a living relationship. If we want AI that serves communities, we need open dialogue, not just policy PDFs and technical compliance.

Imago for Democracy

Imago for Democracy

American politics loves the sound of its own voice. Beneath the noise, what we call debate is just two sides stuck in parallel monologues. To build a democracy that truly listens, we have to escape the Explanation Trap.

The Tyranny of the Bootstrap: Meritocracy’s Hidden Moral Trap

The Tyranny of the Bootstrap: Meritocracy’s Hidden Moral Trap

J.D. Vance’s ‘bootstraps’ gospel taps into America’s myth of limitless personal agency, but ignores the structural barriers that trap communities in decline. His clandestine moral argument reveals why genuine freedom requires more than grit; it necessitates justice.

Media Bias Debates Miss The Real Problem

Media Bias Debates Miss The Real Problem

Media bias debates distract from what journalism must become: civic architecture. The real divide is how groups assign risk and blame. Journalism’s task is to design scaffolds, filters, and pathways to help us navigate these tensions together.

CeaseFire at the Crossroads: Deliberative Dialogue in an Age of Polarization

CeaseFire at the Crossroads: Deliberative Dialogue in an Age of Polarization

CeaseFire, C-SPAN’s new series debuting fall 2025, seeks to cut through polarization by modeling civil, structured dialogue across divides. But its mission to surface disagreement and mutual respect must overcome deep psychological, social, and media barriers.

Interface-Aware Media Design: A Civic Architecture for the Post-Truth Age

Interface Theory

Interface-Aware Media Design: A Civic Architecture for the Post-Truth Age

What if journalism isn’t a mirror of reality but an interface shaped by evolution, one that rewards outrage over understanding? To survive the post-truth era, media must be redesigned as civic infrastructure: transparent, deliberative, and calibrated to human perception, rather than platform logic.

Rebuilding Public Meaning: A Framework for Civic Journalism in the Age of Factionalism, AI, and Mediated Truth

Rebuilding Public Meaning: A Framework for Civic Journalism in the Age of Factionalism, AI, and Mediated Truth

Polarization, misinformation, and platform logic have fractured public discourse. The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and the advancement of Citizens United decision deepened the divide. PubHubs proposes civic architecture to re-center truths, rebuild trust, and serve the public interest.

Journalism in the Age of Factionalism and AI: Why the Old Paradigm is Failing

Journalism in the Age of Factionalism and AI: Why the Old Paradigm is Failing

Journalism is at a crossroads: clinging to objectivity while politics, AI, and psychometrics reshape how people perceive truth. To stay relevant and protect democracy, the press must shift from monologue to dialogue; we must begin by mapping belief systems, not just reporting facts.

Mediated "Truths": Critical Realism and the Modern Media Landscape in News as it Relates to Politics

Mediated "Truths": Critical Realism and the Modern Media Landscape in News as it Relates to Politics

You’re not seeing the world as it is. You’re seeing a media landscape shaped by interests, and cognitive framing, what passes for "truth" is more often a carefully constructed narrative. Understanding all this is essential to the survival of democracy in our representative republic.

Reframing the Frame: Language, Power, and the Battle for Public Meaning

Reframing the Frame: Language, Power, and the Battle for Public Meaning

Political power today hinges more on framing than facts. The right uses emotionally charged language to shape meaning, while Democrats and mainstream media often respond with neutral, technocratic rhetoric that lacks resonance. To regain influence, they must reframe, not simply rebut.

Restoring Meaning in an Age of Distrust in News as Relates to Politics

Restoring Meaning in an Age of Distrust in News as Relates to Politics

Journalism is failing not from bias alone, but from a deeper unwillingness to confront its own epistemological and cultural blind spots.

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