Caleb Ward
@calebw.bsky.social
Social and political philosophy, feminism and social change, almost done with a book on the philosophy of Audre Lorde
Postdoc at Uni Hamburg
Photo by Frank Ward, 1999
https://www.calebward.xyz/
Postdoc at Uni Hamburg
Photo by Frank Ward, 1999
https://www.calebward.xyz/
Pinned
Caleb Ward
@calebw.bsky.social
· Sep 4
Using and Abusing ‘The Master’s Tools’ Caleb Ward's Audre Lorde Lecture
Audre Lorde’s statement that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” stands for uncompromising vision in the fight…
vimeo.com
“But can’t we use the master’s tools just this once, as a treat??”
Here’s my talk about Lorde’s master’s tools, which got such a heartening reception in New York. Thanks to everyone who turned out—professors, students, poets, activists 🌱
Here’s my talk about Lorde’s master’s tools, which got such a heartening reception in New York. Thanks to everyone who turned out—professors, students, poets, activists 🌱
This is funny, and I'll add that Alfred North Whitehead's Process and Reality proves horseshoe theory, but for continental and analytic philosophy
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
This is funny, and I'll add that Alfred North Whitehead's Process and Reality proves horseshoe theory, but for continental and analytic philosophy
pretty sure a goy birl is called a shiksa on the side
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 PM
pretty sure a goy birl is called a shiksa on the side
To be fair, he should have taken that alibi, because the cringe of the real metaphor is unforgivable
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 PM
To be fair, he should have taken that alibi, because the cringe of the real metaphor is unforgivable
Sometimes bsky has the juice too! I recently posted slight snark about the CEO of FIDE in a comment, and several days later Magnus Carlsen’s coach randomly gave it a like lol
November 25, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Sometimes bsky has the juice too! I recently posted slight snark about the CEO of FIDE in a comment, and several days later Magnus Carlsen’s coach randomly gave it a like lol
no worries, the Rediscovering Black History blog makes the same mistake
rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2024/04/10/t...
rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2024/04/10/t...
The FBI’s Brief Investigation on Audre Lorde
Today’s post was written by Christina Violeta Jones, Archivist with the Special Access and FOIA Program at the National Archives at College Park, MD “For those of us who write, it is ne…
rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 PM
no worries, the Rediscovering Black History blog makes the same mistake
rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2024/04/10/t...
rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2024/04/10/t...
That’s based on a misreading of the file I think. There was only one meeting 6/11/59. But AL did talk to them, saying “she believed Communism was evil but the ppl she once thought were communists were misguided and would eventually see things the American way” lol. Should’ve said even less tho
November 25, 2025 at 9:02 PM
That’s based on a misreading of the file I think. There was only one meeting 6/11/59. But AL did talk to them, saying “she believed Communism was evil but the ppl she once thought were communists were misguided and would eventually see things the American way” lol. Should’ve said even less tho
Not everyone has a lawyer, but even those who don't can be like Audre Lorde on this one (this from her FBI file)
November 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Not everyone has a lawyer, but even those who don't can be like Audre Lorde on this one (this from her FBI file)
I guess we'll never know!
November 25, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I guess we'll never know!
Remind me to talk to you about the chapter on survival in my Audre Lorde book next time we see each other! The distinction I see in her work is survival as subsistence vs. survival as preservation of self (i.e., being and becoming across all important aspects of who one is). Related to freedom!
November 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Remind me to talk to you about the chapter on survival in my Audre Lorde book next time we see each other! The distinction I see in her work is survival as subsistence vs. survival as preservation of self (i.e., being and becoming across all important aspects of who one is). Related to freedom!
Glad to hear it! I also expressed a concern about overreach of conclusions in psychology in general, which you interpreted as a structural issue that all science faces. Then I said, "but isn't this maybe more acute in psychology"? Can you weigh in on that, given that you're better informed on this?
November 25, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Glad to hear it! I also expressed a concern about overreach of conclusions in psychology in general, which you interpreted as a structural issue that all science faces. Then I said, "but isn't this maybe more acute in psychology"? Can you weigh in on that, given that you're better informed on this?
And this troubles me especially because I don't think psychology has a good track record of understanding major causal factors that societies impose on individuals. But maybe as the Cold War gets further into the past, this has become less of a problem? I genuinely don't know the field well enough
November 25, 2025 at 6:48 PM
And this troubles me especially because I don't think psychology has a good track record of understanding major causal factors that societies impose on individuals. But maybe as the Cold War gets further into the past, this has become less of a problem? I genuinely don't know the field well enough
I will admit that my concerns are vastly underdetermined by the data (by which I mean the reading I've actually done in phil of science)! But as a layperson, I do think psychology theories jump to universal claims from limited data faster than nearly any other science I can think of.
November 25, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will admit that my concerns are vastly underdetermined by the data (by which I mean the reading I've actually done in phil of science)! But as a layperson, I do think psychology theories jump to universal claims from limited data faster than nearly any other science I can think of.
Oh wow, here we go thinking human lives are just a bunch of variables that we can shuttle back and forth to test out hypotheticals 🤦
November 25, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Oh wow, here we go thinking human lives are just a bunch of variables that we can shuttle back and forth to test out hypotheticals 🤦
Yeah, I think that's clearly true (at least in societal contexts I know well), I guess I'm more befuddled by what recommends a particular explanatory chain of reasoning for psychologists. Because I feel like the explanations produced are often extremely underdetermined by the experimental evidence
November 25, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Yeah, I think that's clearly true (at least in societal contexts I know well), I guess I'm more befuddled by what recommends a particular explanatory chain of reasoning for psychologists. Because I feel like the explanations produced are often extremely underdetermined by the experimental evidence
Make carousels antifa again!
November 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Make carousels antifa again!
How can you look at cults, see the cognitive dissonance phenomenon, & then posit it as a core response? Like, maybe the reason these particular people are in cults in the first place is because they for whatever contingent reasons struggle at integrating countervailing evidence into their beliefs?🤷
November 25, 2025 at 6:24 PM
How can you look at cults, see the cognitive dissonance phenomenon, & then posit it as a core response? Like, maybe the reason these particular people are in cults in the first place is because they for whatever contingent reasons struggle at integrating countervailing evidence into their beliefs?🤷
The Schlurfs in Vienna would hang out at public carousels and listen to swing records that their buddies the carousel operators put on the speakers for them. Nazis didn’t like it.
#OtD 25 Nov 1941 three Schlurfs were arrested by Gestapo in Austria for destroying a Hitler Youth noticeboard. Schlurfs were working-class youth who rejected Nazism, militarism and the work ethic, and listened to jazz music. More on WWII anti-Nazi youth: workingclasshistory.com/podcast/72-e...
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
The Schlurfs in Vienna would hang out at public carousels and listen to swing records that their buddies the carousel operators put on the speakers for them. Nazis didn’t like it.
Perfect example of Sukaina Hirji’s oppressive double binds
And of course there’s no individual solution… only the collective political project of changing who has the power
And of course there’s no individual solution… only the collective political project of changing who has the power
November 25, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Perfect example of Sukaina Hirji’s oppressive double binds
And of course there’s no individual solution… only the collective political project of changing who has the power
And of course there’s no individual solution… only the collective political project of changing who has the power
Maybe I'm just in the "general skepticism about 20th century psychology" camp, but I'm struck by what account of explanatory adequacy makes ppl think something is a "core" or universal human response. Seems like there are sample issues and interpretation of results issues galore
November 25, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Maybe I'm just in the "general skepticism about 20th century psychology" camp, but I'm struck by what account of explanatory adequacy makes ppl think something is a "core" or universal human response. Seems like there are sample issues and interpretation of results issues galore
lol. In a glitch I take personally, google scholar mostly only registers my self-citations for my first Lorde article, while ignoring several cool books and articles that cited it but only show up on philpapers. Cut an early career scholar a break, google
November 24, 2025 at 8:19 PM
lol. In a glitch I take personally, google scholar mostly only registers my self-citations for my first Lorde article, while ignoring several cool books and articles that cited it but only show up on philpapers. Cut an early career scholar a break, google
I wonder if Aidan considered naming his overview book "Knowledge First, Ask Questions Later"
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I wonder if Aidan considered naming his overview book "Knowledge First, Ask Questions Later"
Too bad it didn't multiple-count your citation of me!
November 24, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Too bad it didn't multiple-count your citation of me!