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Duncan Bell

@duncanbell.bsky.social

14K followers 1.9K following 350 posts

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

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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%

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Dec 9

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

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · 7h

👍

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 2d

#OpenAccess from @poppublicsphere.bsky.social -

Cosmos-Politanism: Transhumanist Visions of Global Order from the First World War to the Digital Age - https://cup.org/425MDEm

- @duncanbell.bsky.social & @blazefutures.bsky.social

Cover of "Perspectives on Politics" journal featuring a person viewing an Amnesty International street installation displaying the quote, "First they came for the journalists and I did not speak out, because they said it was all fake news," set against a cityscape background.

Reposted by Duncan Bell

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 2d

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · 14d

Congratulations, Fernanda (i've just seen the good news)!

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Reposted by Duncan Bell

ooOOOoona McCormack 🎃 @unamccormack.bsky.social · 16d

Taking my cold to bed where we shall sulk at each other.

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Reposted by Duncan Bell

Lawrence Hamilton 🌍 @lawrencehamilton.bsky.social · 17d

Recent (v. belated) arrival from Musk madhouse. Please make me feel welcome

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Reposted by Magnus Johansson, Duncan Bell, Mary Burke , and 1 more Magnus Johansson, Duncan Bell, Mary Burke, Victoria Moul

Anna Alexandrova @annaalexandrova.bsky.social · 17d

I hope Melvin Bragg's retirement will not end In Our Times. He has a lovely voice and manner but it's the people he invites that hold the show. I'll take this chance to post a thread of some of the more memorable episodes for me. Starting with Schaffer, Worrall, and @michelamassimi.bsky.social

BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, The Scientific Method

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Scientific Method.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Andrew Scott , and 4 more Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Andrew Scott, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Duncan Bell, Jon Dean, Francesco Nicoli

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 21d

Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show suspended indefinitely after Charlie Kirk comments

Trump’s chair of US broadcast regulator threatened ABC network’s licence if action was not taken against host

www.irishtimes.com

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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 26d

Elon Musk spoke by video to Tommy Robinson's anti-immigrant rally in the UK today.

"You're in a fundamental situation here where, whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you," said Musk. "You either fight back or you die."

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · 28d

Wow, congratulations!

Reposted by Duncan Bell

Cambridge University History Faculty @camhistory.bsky.social · Sep 8

📢 Congratulations to Fernanda Gallo, Associate Professor in History and Politics (@fernandag.bsky.social), recognised by @ecpr.bsky.social in the prestigious Political Theory Book Prize 2025.

Her "stunningly written" book 'Hegel and Italian Political Thought' was awarded an Honourable Mention.

Fernanda Gallo, Associate Professor in History and Politics at the University of Cambridge, has been recognised by the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) in the Political Theory Book Prize 2025.

Gallo’s book, Hegel and Italian Political Thought: The Practice of Ideas, 1832-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 2024), was awarded an Honourable Mention by the Prize Jury.

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 7

Michael Billig & Michael Skey, "Banal Nationalism, 30 Years On—A Review," Nations and Nationalism (2025) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Banal Nationalism, 30 Years On—A Review

Click on the article title to read more.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 5

Ha!

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 4

Mea Culpa

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 4

In this paper, I outline his pragmatist conception of social science, focusing on his ideas about race, and his impact on debates in US sociology and political theory

"Pragmatic Utopianism and Race: H. G. Wells as a Social Scientist"

bit.ly/453otes

PRAGMATIC UTOPIANISM AND RACE: H. G. WELLS AS SOCIAL SCIENTIST | Modern Intellectual History | Cambridge Core

PRAGMATIC UTOPIANISM AND RACE: H. G. WELLS AS SOCIAL SCIENTIST - Volume 16 Issue 3

bit.ly

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 4

Who was the most influential pragmatist political thinker in the opening decades of the twentieth century? In this paper, I argue that it was H. G. Wells

"Pragmatism and Prophecy: H. G. Wells and the Metaphysics of Socialism"

bit.ly/4gcheoe

Pragmatism and Prophecy: H. G. Wells and the Metaphysics of Socialism | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core

Pragmatism and Prophecy: H. G. Wells and the Metaphysics of Socialism - Volume 112 Issue 2

bit.ly

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Sep 3

A brilliant run. I hope they keep the show going

John Gallagher @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social · Sep 3

A huge moment -- Melvyn Bragg steps down from In Our Time after over a quarter of a century. What a programme and what a legacy! Just a model for how to make great, clever, engaging radio, and a twenty-seven-year experiment that proves there's a huge global audience for smart, scholarly programming.

Melvyn Bragg decides to step down from presenting In Our Time

After 26 years on the programme, the legendary presenter bids farewell to the series

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Stuart Elden, Charles West, Duncan Bell , and 8 more Stuart Elden, Charles West, Duncan Bell, Andrew Jacobs, Michael H. Whitworth, Judith Freedman, Guillaume Calafat, Judith Jesch, Charles T. Mathewes, Morwenna Ludlow, Victoria Moul

John Gallagher @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social · Sep 3

Melvyn Bragg decides to step down from presenting In Our Time

After 26 years on the programme, the legendary presenter bids farewell to the series

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Duncan Bell

𝕰𝔦𝖑𝔢𝖊𝔫 𝔐. 𝕳𝔲𝖓𝔱 @eileenmhunt.bsky.social · Aug 30

Latest Wollstoneblog post on a wonderful book workshop on ‘Political Theory and Speculative Fiction’ hosted by @duncanbell.bsky.social at Jesus College, Cambridge! sites.google.com/nd.edu/eilee...

Eileen M. Hunt - September 2025: NEH Scholarly Editions Blog

Reading wollstonecraft's Rights of Men as a source for the british post-apocalyptic imagination NEH Scholarly Editions PI Eileen Hunt (Notre Dame, Political Science) co-organized with Duncan Bell (Ca...

sites.google.com

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Reposted by Duncan Bell

Doctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · Aug 29

at a workshop on political theory and science fiction and so far have heard papers on speculative apocalyptic fiction in opera, Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley & for post-London apocalyptic fiction tracing as far as Pride &Prejudice &Zombies; utopianism in LeGuin; Exit West & real world migration

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 27

Yes! What a result for Grimsby ⚽

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 27

urgh

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 27

Come on Grimsby ⚽️⚽️

Reposted by Alex Callinicos, David Lay Williams

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 21

Duncan Bell, “John Stuart Mill on Federation, Civilization and Empire,” History of Political Thought (2025)

go.shr.lc/4mTZyBp

John Stuart Mill on Federation, Civilization and Empire: Ingenta Connect

go.shr.lc

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 12

It's been very enjoyable working on this book with Doug Mao. An excellent new series

jedesty.bsky.social @jedesty.bsky.social · Aug 11

Excited for this new OUP series on Literature & Politics! Paired authors tackling vital terms and topics of the day, starting with Amanda Anderson and @simoncd.bsky.social on *Humanities Theory*. Next up Doug Mao and @duncanbell.bsky.social on *Utopia*.

global.oup.com/academic/con...

global.oup.com

Reposted by Duncan Bell

jedesty.bsky.social @jedesty.bsky.social · Aug 11

global.oup.com

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Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Duncan Bell

Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · Aug 8

I’ve written for @noemamag.com about the need for a different approach to economic statistics - the data isn’t ‘rigged’ but it hasn’t kept up with the changing economy www.noemamag.com/the-critical...

The Urgent Need For Revolutionizing Economic Statistics | NOEMA

Donald Trump’s abandonment of honest economic statistics highlights what’s been true for a while: The way we measure economic activity has long been inadequate for modern political challenges.

www.noemamag.com

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Reposted by Duncan Bell

Digressionsimpressions @nescio13.bsky.social · Aug 6

From Le Guin's Utopia(s) to Alisdair MacIntyre's Periodizations (and some Adam Smith & Aristotle)
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...

From Le Guin's Utopia(s) to Alisdair MacIntyre's Periodizations (and some Adam Smith & Aristotle)

To read is to feel oneself in no place and time, that is, utopian.

open.substack.com

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 4

Thanks!

Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · Aug 4

Hi Lisa - are you still using the same email address? (I've got a couple of bounce backs)

Reposted by Steven French, Duncan Bell

SF Encyclopedia @sfencyclopedia.bsky.social · Aug 2

Ken MacLeod sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/macleo... was born on this day, so here are some of his book covers (Artist: Stephan Martiniere, Fangorn, Jean Vouillon and Lee Gibbons):

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