Delighted to announce that Fredrik Dybfest Hjorthen and I have secured an ARHC grant to work on "The Ethics of Responding to Rising Global Authoritarianism", for two years from Feb 2026.

A new blog post for @apaphilosophy.bsky.social explores compromise and polarization. I argue that compromise may not be as democratically valuable as often assumed, and that a reduction in compromise may not necessarily be a cost of polarization. blog.apaonline.org/2025/11/26/m...

🎙️ Episode 8 is out now! Jess @jtsuth.bsky.social sits down with Jonathan Benson (@j-benson.bsky.social) to talk democratic theory, scepticism, and the intersections of politics, philosophy & economics. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! #DemocracyDifferently #PoliticalTheory #Democracy #PPE

Latest PSR: Setälä and O'Flynn on "Can Deliberative Democracy Provide Remedies for Affective Polarisation?" journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

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...

After some distribution issues, my book 'Intelligent Democracy' is now available in the UK & Europe! 🎉📚 global.oup.com/academic/pro...

The ethics of responding to democratic backsliding abroad by James Pattison is now available in Early View. @jamespattison.bsky.social ajps.org/2025/04/14/t...

The ERC have given me 5 years to figure out what Europeans really think about democracy. If you would like to come and join me in the endeavour, then I am currently hiring a postdoc @sotonpolitics.bsky.social. Deadline: 30 April | Details here: jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx... #polisky

Come join us (again!) @uompol.bsky.social. We have a new permanent lectureship (asst prof) in Environmental Politics to join the already excellent group here, including @sherilynmacgregor.bsky.social, Carl Death, and Paul Tobin. @manchestersci.bsky.social www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

🚨My small book with @cambridgeuppolisci.bsky.social on timely #empathy #politics is online and I can't be happier! 🚨 shorturl.at/jZyPz *The manuscript can be accessed freely for the next 2 weeks!* The book builds on my PhD thesis, defended @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social

Justice and Security-based Attachment, which I co authored with Stephanie Collins (Monash) is out in the Journal of Moral Philosophy now. brill.com/view/journal...

Y’all

Out in @naturehumbehav.bsky.social Can people tell true from false news? Yes! Our meta-analysis shows that people rate true news as more accurate than false news (d = 1.12) and were better at spotting false news than at recognizing true news (d = 0.32). www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I've been sporadically adding people to this Democratic Innovations Starter Pack over the last few weeks. Now up to 140 members. go.bsky.app/LX11yEA Sorry if I missed you, I find Bluesky not the best at notifying about replies.

I'll be talking about polarization and anger next week as part of the great Practical, Political & Ethical Series. If you're in London, come along. Thanks to @elisewoodard.bsky.social and @michaelhannon.bsky.social for organizing.

Join us in London next week for Jonathan Benson's @j-benson.bsky.social talk: "Affective Polarization and the Aptness of Partisan Anger".

This Friday at Sussex for anyone in the area interested in political epistemology! @elisewoodard.bsky.social @michaelhannon.bsky.social

Had a delightful conversation with @roberttalisse.bsky.social on the New Books in Philosophy podcast. We talked about my *Experiments in Living Together: How Democracy Drives Social Progress (OUP 2024)*. Thank you, Robert! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

🤩 The CfP for the 7th Deliberative Democracy Summer School is out now 🤩 A toast to our colleagues from the University of Zurich for hosting the European version of the summer school. Grants available for students with limited institutional support. www.ipz.uzh.ch/en/study/doc...

This was a fantastic discussion (and ‘the chat’ engagement was great too) and I am very much looking forward to reading @elisewoodard.bsky.social @michaelhannon.bsky.social forthcoming book! In the meantime I’ve ordered Jonathan Benson’s #IntelligentDemocracy Thank you www.thephilosopher1923.org

Looking forward to this conversation tonight with @michaelhannon.bsky.social and @j-benson.bsky.social! www.thephilosopher1923.org/events/truth...

Most contemporary discussions of markets vs planning are too stark and simplistic. To think seriously for the future, we need a richer and more nuanced approach. Angus Hebenton & I make a start here: engaging with the unduly neglected work of Meade, Holland, and Wootton. ejpe.org/journal

Very much looking forward to what should be a great discussion!

'Democracy and the Epistemic Problems of Political Polarization' is now out in the latest volume of @apsrjournal.bsky.social.

From our new issue: "Democracy and the Epistemic Problems of Political Polarization" by Jonathan Benson. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #ASPRNewIssue