Just had a great start to our fortnightly pol-philosophy talk-and-bake sessions, with excellent @alixdietzel.bsky.social kicking us off talking about the right (& wrong) kinds of love in teaching. Packed room, lots of questions, and lots of love. @rebeccabuxton.bsky.social @wiglet1981.bsky.social

Teaching has decided to start again today. The weather has decided to get much colder. My train has decided to be very late. I was not consulted on any of these decisions.

🎉🎉🎉

Please follow my excellent colleague @humeiraiqtidar.bsky.social! She is new to B-Sky but writes very many interesting (& methodologically innovative) things, including her new piece in @apsrjournal.bsky.social: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social @ipsa-rc31.bsky.social

If you are lucky, u finish your big theory & publish it. Then, if your luck continues, it gets some critical attention. Then, if you are very lucky, someone defends you. But then, if your luck runs out, someone else explains why actually it can't be saved at all🤣 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Announcement: I'm now Co-Chair of the IPSA Political Philosophy Research Committee @ipsa-rc31.bsky.social. Working with @humeiraiqtidar.bsky.social. Have joined up partly 2 ensure the group continues but also 2 massively grow its presence, starting with the next biennial conference in Rome (2027)...

Ian McEwan as post-liberal theorist? Might be something for @mattsleat.bsky.social @pjthinker.bsky.social. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

I am in Bristol this evening (15 September) if anyone wants to join!! www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/boo...

Although philosophers (mostly) believe in the power of arguments to change minds, they (almost) never change their own minds in response to the arguments of others. Instead, they tend to say that they will, in future, rephrase (though not how), refine (though not what), or revisit (though not when).

Come to Bristol and work with an excellent colleague in philosophy.

What's your favourite trinity? Causes of conflict in Hobbes? Forms of rule in Aristotle? Parts of the mind in Plato? Methods of ethics in Sidgwick? Forms of trust in Wollstonecraft? In Manchester they have a different answer, though maybe not 2 taste of @duncanbell.bsky.social @jowolff.bsky.social

Lots of talk yesterday at MANCEPT about how important it is to be able to become a citizen. Fair enough, but having visited the Etihad 'campus' this morning, my feeling is that just because you can support them doesn't mean you have to.

Good morning MANCEPT. Perhaps the cladding on the building in the middle is designed to keep all those dangerous ideas produced by political theorists safely inside. Either way the Pennines loom nicely through the drizzle. Just what one wants for a day of serious thinking...

Although @rebeccabuxton.bsky.social & others are excited to attend MANCEPT this week, I'm a little wary. Last time I was there I took several German realists to Nandos and the queen died halfway through the meal. What happens this time if I take an international group of methodologists to Greggs!? 😬

Just maybe the finest view of a rainbow I've ever had, coming back on the train for the last leg of my journey from @ecpr.bsky.social #ecpr2026 with @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social @edmundhandby.bsky.social @svenjaahlhaus.bsky.social @felixbender.bsky.social @uguraytac.bsky.social @apoama.bsky.social

Sometimes you wonder if that 'perfect' present you found was actually more for yourself than your children

Can AI be a useful/novel 'method' or tool of political philosophy? Interesting and divergent answers from @edmundhandby.bsky.social and Nahshon Perez @ecpr.bsky.social w. @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social today.

Packed out panel on emotional/empirical methods this morning at @ecpr.bsky.social w. @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social following earlier discussion of 'old methods, new problems' @sunelaegaard.bsky.social @edmundhandby.bsky.social @lisamherzog.bsky.social @svenjaahlhaus.bsky.social @uguraytac.bsky.social

Packed panels, cool drinks, and sunset strolls on the promenade. It's a good life being a political theorist here at @ecpr.bsky.social in Thessaloniki with @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social

After much scheduling back-and-forth @ecpr.bsky.social we now have a time/venue for (annual) social drinks amongst ALL the different political theorists/philosophers at the conference: 'Beer Garden' - 7pm - Wednesday 27/08. Please share/post on all your networks! www.google.com/maps/place/B...

I am at the @ecpr.bsky.social General Conference at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Here is Aristotle. Here, equally impressively, is also @jonathanfloyd.bsky.social talking about Methods and Methodology in Political Philosophy.

Last posted on June 6th that I was trying to finish my book on methods/methodology in political theory/philosophy. 2day happy 2 say I've sent it to the press. Something to celebrate whilst at 1st day of @ecpr.bsky.social in Thessaloniki with @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social @edmundhandby.bsky.social etc

So much discussion on whether pol-phi should be more/less realistic/idealistic/comparative/empirical/etc...when we SHOULD be asking whether it can be done 'Gangnam Style'. Hope 2 clear this up with my talk @ipsa.org today. @rebeccabuxton.bsky.social @jowolff.bsky.social @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE: Much of political theory today is informed, explicitly or implicitly, by the model of the democratic underlabourer, which, however, assumes the political context of the (democratic) nation-state. journals.sagepub.com/toc/iptb/21/2

How should we understand events like the public Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden and the Danish law passed to stop them? Can the realism/moralism distinction in political theory be applied to such cases? The answers to these questions are connected, I suggest: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Currently travelling due east for a bit of PhD examining. No more hills now, just waterways and turbines in high summer. Train markedly leans to the left when getting close to them, just past Peterborough, which made me smile, because I realised we were 'tilting at windmills'.

Have been writing fairly steadily for 4 weeks now. Going pretty well despite minor rages every 2/3 days about not hitting one of my arbitrary targets. Method/methodology in political theory/philosophy fully in focus right now. This book will be done.

Was much saddened by passing of Alasdair MacIntyre. Once spent a yr+ reading all his work. He thought we should compare traditions of enquiry & see arguments in 'EnlightenmentProject' pol-phi were 'interminable'. God knows what he'd make of them on BlueSky, but guess he's with God now so can ask him

Really interesting double-book event for those in London on Friday 20th June, featuring Rob Jubb & @j-benson.bsky.social, as well as @pamukz.bsky.social @shaiagmon.bsky.social Mark Pennington & Edmund Tweedy Flanigan www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joint-auth...

Students and teachers of political philosophy are invited to the online book launch of the edited volume 'Pluralizing Political Philosophy': crookedtimber.org/2025/05/12/o...

Really good to see 👍

The Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought (BIAPT) Prizes are open for nominations! Please nominate yourselves (or someone else) for our early and mid-career prizes. The deadline for nominations is 23rd May. Share widely! www.associationforpoliticalthought.ac.uk/biapt-prizes...

Political theory/philosophy job in our Department! Deadline 26 May. Happy to answer questions by email. werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

#PublicHumanities invites articles for an upcoming themed issue which aims to bridge the gap between political philosophy and everyday politics. Edited by George Boss & @jonathanfloyd.bsky.social. Find out more - cup.org/3YA5ypc Editors-in-Chief: @zoebulaitis.bsky.social & Jeffrey R. Wilson

Thanks to all those (on Bluesky) that have helped inspire and inform the development of this article: @jonathanfloyd.bsky.social @jowolff.bsky.social @apoama.bsky.social @psapolthought.bsky.social @lisamherzog.bsky.social @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social @enzoreds.bsky.social @martinoneill.bsky.social

Two days and still standing! Policy oriented political philosophy workshop just finished at @blavatnikschool.bsky.social

From last night's roundtable to this morning's first panel, we're very much enjoying our workshop here @blavatnikschool.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk on political philosophy & public policy. Buzzing with ideas/questions/conversations thanks to excellent hosting by @jowolff.bsky.social

Thinkers old and thinkers new; thinking from and thinking to; thinkers young and thinkers great; just don't say 'Trump' and don't be late! www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/events/works... @jowolff.bsky.social @psapolthought.bsky.social @biapt.bsky.social @rebeccabuxton.bsky.social @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social

Given the storm winds + ongoing bin strike, I wasn't quite sure what to expect at Bham @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social today. Thankfully by the afternoon was nothing but blue skies + good questions about method(ology) w. @psapolthought.bsky.social @jmchickson.bsky.social @simonpaulstevens.bsky.social

Do political philosophers – or indeed ‘political theorists’ – really have ‘methods’, and if so, how much do they really matter? Will be talking about these & related questions in Birmingham tomorrow thanks to @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social & @psapolthought.bsky.social. Do come along if interested.

Political Thought panel 6 📝 Methodological innovations in political theory 🗣️ Panellists: @jonathanfloyd.bsky.social, Simon Stevens, Shilpa Thipperudraiah & Archita Sharma ⏰ 3:30pm Wednesday 16 April 🏫 The International Convention Centre - Exec 2

Consider the apocryphal tale that Alfred Nobel read his own obituary 8 yrs before he actually died, due to a mistake by a journalist. Let's say it really did move him 2 change his ways & fund those famous prizes. Who would u write a premature obituary about 2day, & how, in pursuit of similar effect?

Thanks to @jonathanfloyd.bsky.social and all those who attended the bookworkshop (and for the support of @theorylab.bsky.social) - it was an extremely rich day of discussion. We were grateful for having such a forthocming author who was willing to put their ideas through the grindstone of critique!

This was a really enjoyable workshop! Definitely will be a book that, once published, I can heartily recommend.

Looking forward to today's workshop on my methods/methodology book at @qmul.ac.uk hosted by @globaltheoryldn.bsky.social. Somehow comforting to be in a part of the city that sleeps even less than I do. @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social

Lessons from Signal leak 4 DOGE: Using a commercial app 4 military ops will cost less cash (but more lives), accelerate comms (to your enemies), & enhance turnover (of alliances). For further EFFICIENCY gains, try adding future Houthi events 2 a shared Outlook calendar and including grp-Rus + grp-NK

Just out from the excellent @sunelaegaard.bsky.social: A comparison of my work on 'normative behaviourism' w. Tariq Modood's developing idea of 'normative sociology' (following earlier 'contextualism') link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Today's green dilemma in 'leafy' Bristol: Save the tree or the cyclists? Was trying to guess what some of you would say and then started to worry. Would you push a 'fat man' either side and use them as safety ramps!? @jowolff.bsky.social @rebeccabuxton.bsky.social @davidedmonds100.bsky.social

Enjoying reading this today, in between meetings. Chatty, clever, open, helpful. Encouraging for students as well as explanatory. Lots of good things so far @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social @adrianblau.bsky.social