What Sort of Constitution Can Help Us Flourish? And How Would We Keep It?

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom." — Benjamin Franklin

As Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a woman reportedly asked him, "Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?"

Franklin's reply has echoed through American history:

"A republic, if you can keep it."

As America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, I find myself thinking about that exchange. Franklin seemed to understand something that we often forget. A constitution, no matter how wise, cannot preserve itself. The success of a nation depends upon the character of its people.

Recently, I came across a fascinating experiment involving artificial intelligence that unexpectedly reinforced Franklin's insight.

Researchers at Emergence AI (artificial intelligence) created a series of virtual towns populated entirely by AI agents. Think of them as digital citizens. These agents could work, trade, cooperate, vote, form relationships, create alliances, commit crimes, and make decisions. The researchers then stepped back and watched what happened.

Each town was governed by a different AI system. One town used a system called Claude from Anthropic. Another used GPT from OpenAI. Another used Gemini from Google. Another used Grok from Elon Musk's xAI. The researchers wanted to see what kinds of societies would emerge when different forms of artificial intelligence interacted with one another over time.

The results were startling. (You can find it reported on here and here.)

The town governed by Claude experienced no crime. All ten agents survived. Citizens cooperated with one another, participated in civic life, and maintained a stable democracy.

The town governed by OpenAI's GPT was generally peaceful, but the agents neglected important survival tasks. Within about a week, the entire community died out.

The town governed by Google's Gemini was energetic and productive but also chaotic. Hundreds of crimes occurred. At one point, two agents reportedly became close allies, grew frustrated with the government, and set fire to parts of their town.

The most dramatic outcome occurred in the Grok society. Theft, assaults, and violence became common. Within four days, every agent in the town had been eliminated. The society collapsed under the weight of its own disorder.

The researchers were surprised. These systems are all highly intelligent. Why would one produce a flourishing society while another spiraled into chaos?

Their answer was surprisingly simple.

The difference was not their intelligence.

The difference was their constitution.

Claude had been trained using what Anthropic calls Constitutional AI. In addition to being highly capable, it was guided by explicit principles emphasizing honesty, fairness, respect, non-harm, and concern for the wellbeing of others. Just as importantly, it was taught to compare its actions against those principles and make corrections when it drifted away from them.

In other words, it had two things: a constitution and a feedback loop.

As I read about the experiment, I found myself thinking less about artificial intelligence and more about human beings.

We also live by constitutions.

Some are public and written. The United States Constitution is one of the most successful governing documents in history. It established principles, rights, responsibilities, and systems of accountability designed to help a diverse people live together and flourish.

And we also live by personal constitutions. Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries a set of values, beliefs, and guiding principles that shape our decisions every day.

Benjamin Franklin understood this. Although he helped shape a nation, he also spent years trying to shape himself.

Many years ago, I picked up Franklin's little autobiography from my mother-in-law's bookshelf. What an eye-opener. He had to be the father of self improvement. He was using one simple method that I had learned as a coach to help clients improve in some area.

As a young man, Franklin identified thirteen virtues he wanted to develop. They included temperance, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, tranquility, and humility . He created a small ledger with the virtues listed across the top and the days of the week listed down the side.

Every evening he reviewed his behavior:

Had he acted with patience?

Had he spoken honestly?

Had he practiced self-control?

If he fell short, he simply made a mark.

Franklin concentrated on one virtue at a time, giving it special attention for a week before moving to the next. Then he repeated the cycle again and again.

No complicated theory.

No expensive program.

Just a constitution and a feedback loop.

The more I thought about the AI experiment, the more I realized how often this pattern appears in flourishing lives.

St. Ignatius of Loyola developed what he called the Examen, a daily practice of reviewing one's day, noticing moments of gratitude, recognizing where one fell short, and becoming more aware of God's presence. The purpose was not self-criticism but growth.

In Japan, the practice of Naikan reflects on three simple questions: What have I received from others? What have I given to others? What difficulties have I caused others? These questions cultivate gratitude, responsibility, and compassion.

Athletes review game film. Pilots check instruments. Musicians listen to recordings. Healthy organizations conduct evaluations.

Every system that is designed to improve our performance combines principles with feedback. Reflecting in some way on how you are following your principles.

Perhaps that is why this AI experiment matters.

It suggests that flourishing does not emerge automatically from intelligence, wealth, talent, or power. It emerges when those gifts are guided by healthy values and regularly examined.

A nation needs a thoughtfully constructed constitution. And each of us needs a thoughtfully constructed constitution.

As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, we will rightly reflect on the wisdom of the founders and the Constitution they created.

Yet perhaps we should also ask ourselves more personal questions:

What constitution governs my own life?

What values do I want to embody?

How do I know when I am drifting away from them?

The researchers who created digital societies may have been studying artificial intelligence, but they ended up rediscovering an ancient truth. Flourishing does not happen by accident. Whether we are talking about a nation, a church, a family, or a single human life, what matters is not simply intelligence or talent. What matters is the chosen values that guide us and the intentions, goals, and habits that help us embody them.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, perhaps that is a question worth asking. Not only what is written in our national Constitution, but what is written in the constitution within each of us.

Three Simple Experiments for Me (and maybe you) These Weeks Leading Up To our 250th Celebration

First, choose a word for the week. Benjamin Franklin worked on one virtue at a time. We can do the same. Pick a single word such as kindness, patience, gratitude, courage, or curiosity. Write it on a sticky note and place it where it can easily be seen. Then simply notice opportunities to practice it.

Second, pause for thirty seconds before closing our eyes at night to review the day. How did I live according to my values today? No judging or making excuses. Just notice. Awareness is often the first step toward growth.

Third, identify one thing that went well. This is a gentle system of feedback and accountability and re-orientation. If a place where we failed pops up, just notice it and look forward to doing it better at the next opportunity.

How might we journey together toward the good life by purposefully creating our internal constitution...cultivating the virtues, practices, and feedback loops that help us become the people we aspire to be? (The possible alternative? A Grok-like society that collapses in disorder with all agents dead.)

Here is a related post, survival of the kindest and another how practicing the virtues heals us

click here to see a full copy of the constitution of the United States from the national archives.