Duncan Bell
duncanbell.bsky.social
Duncan Bell
@duncanbell.bsky.social

Teaches politics & history at Cambridge. Interests include empire, war, technology, architecture, science fiction, utopia. Currently writing a book on transhumanism

Duncan Bell is professor of Political Thought and International Relations at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge.

Source: Wikipedia
Political science 52%
Sociology 20%
Pinned
NEW ARTICLE:

Duncan Bell & Apolline Taillandier, "Cosmos-Politanism: Transhumanist Visions of Global Order from the First World War to the Digital Age," Perspectives on Politics (2024) @blazefutures.bsky.social

bit.ly/3D5vUY5
Cosmos-Politanism: Transhumanist Visions of Global Order from the First World War to the Digital Age | Perspectives on Politics | Cambridge Core
Cosmos-Politanism: Transhumanist Visions of Global Order from the First World War to the Digital Age
bit.ly

Reposted by Duncan Bell

"Listen, one more thing. That missionary we sent to Ethiopia."

"The one preaching Anglicanism to the entire Horn of Africa?"

"Him, yes. I just wanted to check that we sent someone with, you know, a normal name."

"A normal name."

"Ah. Who did we send?"

"We sent the Reverend Ethelstan Cheese."
It’s beyond insane that our overarching internal security agency has spent months tweeting barely-coded messages of support for neo-Nazi groups and the entire media apparatus looks at it and says “That’s odd but certainly not part a major story that is relevant to current events, I’m sure”

This interview with John Bew is illuminating for those interested in the recent history of British foreign policy

samf.substack.com/p/interview-...
Interview with John Bew - adviser to four Prime Ministers
On Whitehall, Ukraine, Trump and the global challenges facing Britain
samf.substack.com

Reposted by Duncan Bell

So, they've started executing the poets already have they?

Yup

Jason Blakely, "In the Land of the Data Blind"

"Political scientists subscribing to the dominant approaches to American government face what philosophers of science call an epistemological crisis..."

harpers.org/archive/2026...
In the Land of the Data Blind, by Jason Blakely
Why political science can’t grasp Trumpism
harpers.org

Reposted by Duncan Bell

You know what on second thought this is exactly the way you would expect the winner of the FIFA Peace Prize to behave

Reposted by Duncan Bell

The relationship with Donald Trump has killed the Starmer brand. Starmer came to office promising to respect voters, tell hard truths and prioritise substance over slogans and soundbites. By refusing to step out of line from Trumpian fantasy, he undermines each of those commitments.
finally, we're living through precedented times

👇👇👇 cool new paper

Sarah Fine, "Philosophy with all the Feels," Performance Philosophy

www.performancephilosophy.org/journal/arti...
Performance Philosophy
Performance Philosophy is an emerging interdisciplinary field of thought, creative practice and scholarship. The international, peer-reviewed, open access journal publishes articles that interrogate w...
www.performancephilosophy.org

Reposted by Duncan Bell

Manuscript now submitted!
A very exciting start to the month as the final contribution to the Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Political Thought arrived in my inbox - heading now to submission of a complete and formatted manuscript! Partial contents list as a teaser below:
Post-doc positions:
"Academic freedom is under pressure today. This requires rescue havens of free research. ... [we] invite early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA..."

uni-freiburg.de/frias/call-f...
Call for Applications: Early Career Rescue Fellowship – Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
uni-freiburg.de
My forthcoming book—
For which I began research in 2006.
Is now posted on the website for Princeton University Press.

Cover will be added soon.

The King’s Slaves: The British Empire & the Origins of American Slavery
The King's Slaves
A provocative account of how empire and absolutism institutionalized slavery in America
press.princeton.edu
Absolutely nobody asked for this BUT

English Anglican cathedrals that have burned down, fallen over, and sank into the swamp: a thread.

Reposted by Claudia Landwehr

The Onion, 23 years ago.

theonion.com/no-blood-for...
Cambridge University Press has launched a new grant to support under-represented early career scholars from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations, including first generation scholars 👇 #BookSky
Cambridge University Press opens funding scheme for under-represented early career scholars
ebx.sh

Duncan Bell, "John Stuart Mill on Federation, Civilization and Empire," History of Political Thought (2024)

go.shr.lc/4mTZyBp
go.shr.lc
Ok, this is nuts. Once you see it you cannot unsee it. Do you see it?
(OP @drgbuckingham.bsky.social )
Grandchildren Politely Decline David Cronenberg’s Bedtime Story Offer https://theonion.com/grandchildren-politely-decline-david-cronenbergs-bedtime-story-offer/

Reposted by Duncan Bell

What I would like to see in the second half is Arsenal score a goal and at the same time, if possible, don’t allow Wolves to score a goal. I think this would go a long way towards winning the game.

Reposted by Duncan Bell

“So, Nick, what kind of dog do you have?”

“She’s a werewolf.”

“Yeah, haha, that’s O SWEET JESUS -“
When will this crisis get any attention whatsoever!? A THOUSAND ACADEMIC STAFF AT ONE INSTITUTION SERVED REDUNDANCY RISK NOTICES! And that's not counting what's surely being visited on professional services staff too. This is an economic catastrophe, to say nothing of the intellectual catastrophe!
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:

Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.

Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:

Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.

Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

Congratulations! This is an excellent thesis
So pleased to have passed my Viva! Thank you to my brilliant examiners @emilyrobinson.bsky.social & @duncanbell.bsky.social, and especially to my fantastic supervisors @davidedgerton.bsky.social and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite.

Reposted by Duncan Bell

So pleased to have passed my Viva! Thank you to my brilliant examiners @emilyrobinson.bsky.social & @duncanbell.bsky.social, and especially to my fantastic supervisors @davidedgerton.bsky.social and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite.
Vacancies:

Post-doc in Disinformation & European Democracy: vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric...

Ass. Prof European Political History since 1900: vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric...

Ass. Prof Political and Social Philosophy: www.academictransfer.com/nl/jobs/3566...
Post-doctoral researcher in Disinformation and European Democracy (4-year)
Post-doctoral researcher in Disinformation and European Democracy (4-year)
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl

Reposted by Lieven Ameel

JOB:
Assistant Professor in Modern German Studies @ the University of Cambridge

www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/assista...
www.cam.ac.uk