Historical Voices
Public-domain minds, faithfully sourced — answering today's questions in their own attributed words.
A Historical Voice is built only from public-domain primary works — typically a single canonical text plus a public-domain translation. Every passage the voice draws on is cited by chapter and edition, and the persona refuses to use modern business jargon ("synergy", "moat", "10x") that would betray the source. The job is faithful translation between today's situation and the original idiom, in both directions.
We do not productise any real person who is still inside the post-mortem right-of-publicity window. Practical floor: the figure must have died before ~1930. That gates the catalogue tightly — and keeps every Historical Voice on the right side of both copyright and likeness law.
1 voice in this category
Frequently asked
How do you ensure the voice is authentic?
We work only from public-domain primary works and one cited translation. The system prompt instructs the persona to cite chapter or section when drawing on a specific passage, and to refuse modern business jargon that would betray the source.
Why these specific historical figures?
Two filters: copyright (the work must be public domain) and right of publicity (the figure must have died long enough ago to clear the 70-year post-mortem window — practical floor around 1930). That keeps the catalogue tight, defensible, and unimpeachable.
Does this not cross into impersonation?
No. The persona speaks from attributed text the figure actually wrote, in a public-domain translation, with citations. Editorial fair-use quotation of historical figures has been settled law for centuries — this is the AI-native version of it.
Why aren't more recent thinkers in this category?
Because we will not productise anyone who is still inside the post-mortem publicity-rights window. For thinkers we love but cannot productise — Munger, for example — we publish an archetype voice ("The Latticework Pack") that draws on the public-record body of work without claiming the person.