Many congratulations!!

Really excited to see this renewed interest in social norms. Looking forward to it.

I'll be there to answer questions. Please join us online!

We're holding a Graduate Open Day for all MSc degrees in the @lsegovernment.bsky.social , including political theory @lsepoltheory.bsky.social . Please join us to hear about the programme and ask any questions you might have. www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...

Our very own Bruno @brunoleipold.com wins an ERC Synergy Grant! We are thrilled!! Huge boost for political theory @lsegovernment.bsky.social.

This Thursday, 4pm, in our research seminar: Jeff Spinner-Halev (UNC) on "Liberal Democratic Theory and the Rebuilding of the Administrative State". @lsegovernment.bsky.social www.lse.ac.uk/government/r...

Our next research seminar is with Daniel James (TU Dresden). The title of his paper is “Racism and Racialised Oppression”. Thursday 16 Oct 4pm. PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE: For this week only, we meet in CKK.1.14. Registration for externals: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj danieljamesphilosophy.com

So which famous work in political theory is represented by this figure? (Frequency of select key terms by chapter). This was made with the help of Claude and the repository of Project Gutenberg. Some thoughts below.

From political philosophy to political proposals via the social sciences. A lively debate, launching Tom Parr's new book. With Becky Clark (LSE), David Axelsen (Essex) and @brunoleipold.com .

Two of my doctoral students submitted their thesis in the last two days. Many congratulations! So much hard work, thinking, debating, presenting. All culminating in one short email.

On Thursday 2 October, we'll be kicking off our 2025-26 LSE poltiical theory seminar with a book launch of Tom Parr's "Empowering Workers in an Age of Automation". The event will be followed by a reception at the George IV pub. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering...

New seminar schedule for Autumn Term. All welcome!

Great essay by Meghan O'Rourke in the NYT about LLMs in academia and beyond. An extract on paper (!).

LLMs are such a tricky challenge for Higher Ed. But sometimes they are genuinely useful for admin. I just managed to get Claude to write a timetable analysis tool to eliminate clashes in our MSc degree. It extracts data from a huge spreadsheet and turns it into a readable table. YES!

Inspiring PPE Conference at KCL, and first, poignant keynote with Moses Shayo on 'News avoidance in times of war.'

Amazing workshop at the @csh.ac.at, thinking about collective learning, democracy, social media regulation, and LLMs. Thanks to Mirta Galesic and Henrik Olsson -- and the great interdisciplinary set of colleagues gathered in Vienna. No doubt some great work will emerge from this.

Important insights from Chandran Kukathas: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...

This week, Eric MacGilvray will give a paper called "What Is It to be a Realist about Democracy?" from his book in progress. Thursday May 15 16:00 - 18:00. All welcome! Please note NEW VENUE: OLD.4.10 (OId Building)! Registration for non-LSE participants: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj

I am an associate of the NSF collaboration grant "Augmenting Intelligence Through Collective Learning". The PIs were informed last week that the grant is now cancelled because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities". The outline mentions climate change and diversity. And intelligence.

Our PhD student @janwasserziehr.bsky.social is organising an exciting conference on 10th June about AI, consiousness, and morality. Register here: www.eventbrite.de/e/lse-worksh...

@jackwilkinson.bsky.social told me about this saying today. It will stay with me for a while.

Breathtaking Händel operas in Shoreditch Town Hall. 'Tales of Apollo and Hercules'. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...

What a great seminar this was! See you all soon again for more political theory @lsepoltheory.bsky.social @lsegovernment.bsky.social

This will now be in LAK.2.06 due to electrical problems with the CKK building.

Our research seminar on Thursday is with Daniel Weinstock: "Compromise and the Ethics of Political Representation". 4pm. We're in CKK.2.06 -- but you need to register if you don't have an LSE ID: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj PS: Our email distribution is down -- sorry, no email announcements.

The most remarkable aspect of Vance's Munich speech is that he questions the legitimacy of European democracies. Vance says European leaders lost the right to rule because they do not deliver the outcomes he desires. Consequently, he is not wasting time meeting leaders (but does meet Weidel!)

So that's how academic freedom ends.

Our great Bruno @brunoleipold.com on tour! (We want him back after this, folks!)

Two talks coming up next week: On Wed 19th we will hold a lunchtime (12pm) seminar with Bastian Steuwer (Ashoka) on “Reaction Qualifications, Fairness, and Meritocracy”. And our regular slot on Thursday 20th 4pm has Wendy Salkin @wendysalkin.bsky.social (Stanford) on "Speaking for Others".

Upcoming deadline for our graduate conference! Submit your abstracts by 20 Feb

Our seminar speaker this Thursday is Jennifer Morton (U Penn) with her paper “Beyond Equality: Reconsidering Precarity”. Jennifer's visit to the UK is jointly organized with the political philosophers at @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social. jennifermmorton.com @lsegovernment.bsky.social

Our research seminar kicks off this Thursday at 4pm with a talk by Maxime Lepoutre (Reading) on geo-engineering. All welcome. www.reading.ac.uk/politics-int... @lsegovernment.bsky.social

Our awesome PhD students are organising a graduate political theory conference on 22-23 May. Keynotes by Rufaida al Hashmi (Reading) and John O'Neill (Manchester). Submit your abstracts by 20 Feb! philevents.org/event/show/1...

We have a new scholarship. Deadline 15 Jan! Fully funded ESRC Collaborative Studentship in partnership with the UK climate action charity Hope For The Future (HFTF) under supervision of Prof Apostolidis. www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...

On the last day of the year I saw the 'Mer de Glace', a glacier on top of Chamonix. You can see the decline. Reminding me that I will teach 'The Political Philosophy of Environmental Change' next term.

And also huge congratulations to @vharting.bsky.social and Andreas Sorger who officially received their PhDs in political theory today! 🎓🎉

Congratulations to our 2023-24 MSc political theory cohort who had their graduation today 👩‍🎓🥳 @leaypi.bsky.social @pjthinker.bsky.social @lsegovernment.bsky.social

It was a pleasure to be part of this viva voce. Many congratulations!

Delighted to announce our seminar programme for Winter Term 2025. Thursdays at 4pm. All welcome. @lsegovernment.bsky.social . Venue and access information to follow.

Open exhibitions - the funny, the crazy, the powerful, all in one. Here is Karen Byrne's Odd Delights No.2. Found in Southwark Park Galleries.

Join us at 5pm today for the launch of @brunoleipold.com 's new book Citizen Marx, with @leaypi.bsky.social @stuartgwhite.bsky.social Anne Philips and Terrell Carver www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launc...

@brunoleipold.com replying to some of the great points raised. And: 'His communism is a form of republicanism.' #lsecitizenmarx

Not a seat free at Bruno's @brunoleipold.com book launch.

Hard to believe that it was 20 years ago that feminist political philosopher Susan Moller Okin died at only 57 years old. It was a bracing professional and personal loss. New newspaper article about her just published, including reflections from her family. newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/25/d...

November 12, 1973 --- The day Philosophy & Public Affairs started treating Rawls like Jesus.

In the next weeks, we have job talks with shortlisted candidates for an Assistant Professorship in Political Theory @lsegovernment.bsky.social . We are thrilled to be visited by great scholars and engage with their work. We listen, we talk, we dine -- for even more Pol Theory at LSE.

Yesterday's Brian Barry Memorial Lecture with Pratap Mehta and @leaypi.bsky.social. Pratap is telling us that major political meta-narratives are no longer seen to meet the basic legitimation demand. The only meta-narrative still strong is nationalism. @lsegovernment.bsky.social #lseunbornworld.

On popular demand, here is part two! go.bsky.app/3mESMAN

I always thought, foolishly maybe, that political gravity will eventually set in, even for Trumpism. That should happen. Unless, of course, the Trumpists succeed in abolishing political gravity itself: Timothy Snyder's chilling prediction.

Back at Goodenough College for a workshop. Like visiting an old friend.