Jo Wolff
@jowolff.bsky.social
Jonathan Wolff,
Political Philosopher.
Fellow British Academy
Emeritus Professor Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford
Wolfson College
President The Royal Institute of Philosophy
THFC supporter in 'early season false hope’ mode.
#academic
Political Philosopher.
Fellow British Academy
Emeritus Professor Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford
Wolfson College
President The Royal Institute of Philosophy
THFC supporter in 'early season false hope’ mode.
#academic
Pinned
Jo Wolff
@jowolff.bsky.social
· Nov 21
I’ve changed my header photo to this one. It shows my father Herbert and his sister Lotte with their parents Fritz and Marta in their Frankfurt apartment before Herbert and Lotte were sent to England on the Kindertransport, and later Fritz and Marta transported to Lodz Ghetto, final fate unknown.
Reposted by Jo Wolff
I don’t know why but the US just loves detaining a significant portion of its residents. Once it was mental hospitals (558,922 in 1955). Then prisons. Now as the prison population starts to fall, concentration camps.
Prisons are for people who've been CONVICTED of crimes.
Most people in these warehouses - without proper food or sanitation or worse - haven't even been CHARGED with crimes.
And thousands are CHILDREN.
This will be another of America's greatest shames.
Most people in these warehouses - without proper food or sanitation or worse - haven't even been CHARGED with crimes.
And thousands are CHILDREN.
This will be another of America's greatest shames.
February 10, 2026 at 7:33 AM
I don’t know why but the US just loves detaining a significant portion of its residents. Once it was mental hospitals (558,922 in 1955). Then prisons. Now as the prison population starts to fall, concentration camps.
Reposted by Jo Wolff
No-one seems to have noticed, but many of the core developments in the Mandelson/Epstein story these last few days have been broken on this website. @pickardje.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social are both posting each breaking development on BlueSky, not X.
February 10, 2026 at 11:40 AM
No-one seems to have noticed, but many of the core developments in the Mandelson/Epstein story these last few days have been broken on this website. @pickardje.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social are both posting each breaking development on BlueSky, not X.
Reposted by Jo Wolff
Still remember being publicly criticised by the then head of REF for writing a column saying that the REF was a form of collective punishment that the university sector imposes on itself. I think the room was with me though.
Scrapping REF should be “serious’ option”, says Manchester VC.
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Scrapping REF should be ‘serious’ option, says Manchester VC - Research Professional News
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Still remember being publicly criticised by the then head of REF for writing a column saying that the REF was a form of collective punishment that the university sector imposes on itself. I think the room was with me though.
Hahaha!! Neither hope nor expectation here.
February 10, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Hahaha!! Neither hope nor expectation here.
Just seen a review of a philosophy book that says it is 128 pages and $200.
February 10, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Just seen a review of a philosophy book that says it is 128 pages and $200.
Surely not the death penalty. Life imprisonment being forced to attend pronoun awareness classes, online implicit bias training, attentive listening classes, an anger management course, and group hygiene and self-care, each twice a day, every day, would surely be the fitting punishment.
February 10, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Surely not the death penalty. Life imprisonment being forced to attend pronoun awareness classes, online implicit bias training, attentive listening classes, an anger management course, and group hygiene and self-care, each twice a day, every day, would surely be the fitting punishment.
Also many redundancies at The Onion as the Trump Regime becomes increasingly self-sufficient in satire.
Peter Navarro: "The jobs report comes out tomorrow. We have to revise our expectations down significantly for what a monthly job number should look like ... Wall Street has to adjust for the fact that we're deporting millions of illegals out of the job market."
February 10, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Also many redundancies at The Onion as the Trump Regime becomes increasingly self-sufficient in satire.
Still remember being publicly criticised by the then head of REF for writing a column saying that the REF was a form of collective punishment that the university sector imposes on itself. I think the room was with me though.
Scrapping REF should be “serious’ option”, says Manchester VC.
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Scrapping REF should be ‘serious’ option, says Manchester VC - Research Professional News
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Still remember being publicly criticised by the then head of REF for writing a column saying that the REF was a form of collective punishment that the university sector imposes on itself. I think the room was with me though.
Right. And where should we cut first? Pension triple lock?
February 10, 2026 at 7:53 AM
Right. And where should we cut first? Pension triple lock?
But, but, but … potholes don’t repair themselves …
‘This 19 percentage points gap is much larger than the 5 percentage point difference in 2022 and the 3 percentage point gap in 2010.’
February 10, 2026 at 7:47 AM
But, but, but … potholes don’t repair themselves …
I don’t know why but the US just loves detaining a significant portion of its residents. Once it was mental hospitals (558,922 in 1955). Then prisons. Now as the prison population starts to fall, concentration camps.
Prisons are for people who've been CONVICTED of crimes.
Most people in these warehouses - without proper food or sanitation or worse - haven't even been CHARGED with crimes.
And thousands are CHILDREN.
This will be another of America's greatest shames.
Most people in these warehouses - without proper food or sanitation or worse - haven't even been CHARGED with crimes.
And thousands are CHILDREN.
This will be another of America's greatest shames.
February 10, 2026 at 7:33 AM
I don’t know why but the US just loves detaining a significant portion of its residents. Once it was mental hospitals (558,922 in 1955). Then prisons. Now as the prison population starts to fall, concentration camps.
Hahahaha! There should be ‘astonishingly prolific and accomplished writers and artists’.
February 10, 2026 at 7:14 AM
Hahahaha! There should be ‘astonishingly prolific and accomplished writers and artists’.
I thought that point had turned?
Great news, son! The Turning Point USA All-American Halftime Show Is On!
Great News! The Turning Point USA Halftime Show Is On!
Quick, to the bunker!
www.theatlantic.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:39 PM
I thought that point had turned?
Reposted by Jo Wolff
Can human beings create genius level intelligence? Sure, we just need to continue having children and the occasional genius will appear.
February 9, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Can human beings create genius level intelligence? Sure, we just need to continue having children and the occasional genius will appear.
Seeing Tony Blair at 500-1 to be next Labour Leader. Gary Neville 200-1.
www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
British Politics Next Labour Leader Betting Odds | Politics
British Politics - Next Labour Leader Betting Odds. Get the best available British Politics odds from all online bookmakers with Oddschecker, the home of betting value.
www.oddschecker.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Seeing Tony Blair at 500-1 to be next Labour Leader. Gary Neville 200-1.
www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
Funnily enough I was mulling over the phrase ‘best practice’ only today. My response always is ‘says who?’ Don’t think I’ve encountered stylised facts.
February 9, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Funnily enough I was mulling over the phrase ‘best practice’ only today. My response always is ‘says who?’ Don’t think I’ve encountered stylised facts.
A trope I’ve noticed in books from 100 years ago is that unevidenced empirical claims are introduced with the endorsement ‘according to those best qualified to judge’. Makes me wonder if the author is talking about themself, or their chums.
February 9, 2026 at 2:21 PM
A trope I’ve noticed in books from 100 years ago is that unevidenced empirical claims are introduced with the endorsement ‘according to those best qualified to judge’. Makes me wonder if the author is talking about themself, or their chums.
Hahahaha! Can’t really claim that for myself though.
February 9, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Hahahaha! Can’t really claim that for myself though.
“The influence of a spider is limited by the size of its web.” A line from Tawney that could have been written for Epstein.
February 9, 2026 at 2:02 PM
“The influence of a spider is limited by the size of its web.” A line from Tawney that could have been written for Epstein.
Hard to remember today that Keir Starmer is only the fourth Labour leader to win a majority at a general election (after Attlee, Wilson and Blair).
February 9, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Hard to remember today that Keir Starmer is only the fourth Labour leader to win a majority at a general election (after Attlee, Wilson and Blair).
I don’t know the inclusion criteria but it looks like only about 10% of accounts are there.
February 9, 2026 at 11:58 AM
I don’t know the inclusion criteria but it looks like only about 10% of accounts are there.
Reposted by Jo Wolff
Objecting to the Super Bowl show and criticising US athletes at the Winter Olympics. You know, I think Trump might be a little UnAmerican. Perhaps someone should investigate.
February 9, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Objecting to the Super Bowl show and criticising US athletes at the Winter Olympics. You know, I think Trump might be a little UnAmerican. Perhaps someone should investigate.
You can check yourself here:
bluesky-map.theo.io
bluesky-map.theo.io
February 9, 2026 at 11:53 AM
You can check yourself here:
bluesky-map.theo.io
bluesky-map.theo.io
Out in the BlueSky backwaters, then. Who am I with? “Left Wing Academic Intellectuals.” Close but where is “Ageing”?
February 9, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Out in the BlueSky backwaters, then. Who am I with? “Left Wing Academic Intellectuals.” Close but where is “Ageing”?