Love, time, and the algorithm: metaphysical humanism and ethical AI governance in education

Abstract This paper develops a metaphysical account of AI ethics in education through J. M. E. McTaggart’s theory of love and time, arguing that algorithmic systems operate within a machinic temporality that constrains ethical relation and narrows the conditions for human judgement. Drawing on McTaggart’s claim that love is the supreme ontological good, and integrating Anders’ critique of technological governance, the paper contends that AI systems do more than regulate behaviour, shaping forms of being and relation, and moral possibility. Empirical manifestations of algorithmic temporality in predictive analytics, automated assessment, and behavioural surveillance illustrate how AI increasingly structures educational decisions without presence or moral time. Against this backdrop, the paper asks what it means to speak of love or ethical relation in an era of algorithmic simulation, and how a metaphysics of time reframes leadership, responsibility, and care. It proposes a love-centred model of AI governance that integrates metaphysical humanism with contemporary principles of transparency, accountability, and relational justice. Recent debates on simulated affection, machine reliability, and human vulnerability are extended through a commitment to care beyond computation. The paper concludes that ethical educational leadership requires reorienting governance around love, moral time, and planetary responsibility, offering a deeper philosophical grounding for current discussions in AI ethics.