David Lay Williams

@laywilliams.bsky.social

7.6K followers 870 following 1.5K posts

Political theorist at DePaul and author of The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx (Princeton, 2024). Essays in NY Times, Washington Post, Time, Bloomberg, etc. Jazz Guitar, New York Mets. .. more

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Political science 46%

Philosophy 36%

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David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · Sep 3

After a decade's labor, it is finally book-release day for "The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx." I'm both relieved and excited to see this day arrive. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

The Greatest of All Plagues

How the great political thinkers have persistently warned against the dangers of economic inequality

press.princeton.edu

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Will Jennings, John McLaren , and 27 more Nandita Sharma, Will Jennings, John McLaren, Amir Attaran, Elizabeth Stokoe, Elizabeth Pisani, Malcolm MacLean, Michelle Everson, Smith, Rebecca Tushnet, Michael Zimmer, Caroline T. Schroeder, Tom Griffin, Lyndsey Stonebridge, Els Torreele, Brian Keegan, Jutta Haider, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, W Grant, Cyrus Samimi, Patrick Meier, Timo M. Kauppinen, Christina Pagel, Julien Théry, Manisha Sinha, Susan D. Amussen, Martin S. Flaherty, Dan Immergluck, David Lay Williams, Búi K. Petersen

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 2d

Rawls is about as old to us now and Sidgewick was to Rawls.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 2d

From many years of in-person research @yarrowaxford.bsky.social knows more about Greenland than just about anyone not presently living in Greenland. Read her take on the disastrous diplomacy unfolding with regard to the island.

Yarrow Axford @yarrowaxford.bsky.social · 2d

Kalaallit Nunaat belongs to its people. 🇬🇱

If a 'framework' for Greenland’s future emerges from international discussions in the coming days, it must be a plan that Greenlanders want.

'Greenland belongs to its people': The US scientists speaking out against Trump's imperial aggression

At least 225 US scientists who conduct research in Greenland have signed a Statement in Solidarity with Greenland this month.

thebulletin.org

Reposted by Silvia Secchi, David Lay Williams

Yarrow Axford @yarrowaxford.bsky.social · 2d

Kalaallit Nunaat belongs to its people. 🇬🇱

If a 'framework' for Greenland’s future emerges from international discussions in the coming days, it must be a plan that Greenlanders want.

'Greenland belongs to its people': The US scientists speaking out against Trump's imperial aggression

At least 225 US scientists who conduct research in Greenland have signed a Statement in Solidarity with Greenland this month.

thebulletin.org

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 3d

There are two kinds of people: those who see Thucydides's Melian Dialogue (and its aftermath) as a warning, and those who see it as granting permission.

Reposted by David Lay Williams

Fabio Chiusi @fabiochiusi.bsky.social · 3d

“Something about how these systems are built makes them structurally vulnerable to authoritarian amplification”

www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...

ChatGPT can embrace authoritarian ideas after just one prompt, researchers say

Research from the Network Contagion Research Institute said ChatGPT became more sympathetic to authoritarian ideas after users shared certain materials with the chatbot.

www.nbcnews.com

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 3d

Somehow, we have reached the point when the Canadian prime minister is much more likely to have read Thucydides than the average university president.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 4d

OwNiNg tHe libz!

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 5d

I've been occasionally mocked for thinking Plato was right about a lot of things. That's happening less these days. (Plato's Republic, Book 5 on the left, NY Times editorial today on the right.)

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

And this agrees with the other principle which we were affirming, --that the guardians were not to have houses or lands or any other property; their pay was to be their food, which they were to receive from the other citizens, and they were to have no private expenses; for we intended them to preserve their true character of guardians.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS never been a man to ask what he can do for his country. In his second term, as in his first, he is instead testing the limits of what his country can do for him.

He has poured his energy and creativity into the exploitation of the presidency — into finding out just how much money people, corporations and other nations are willing to put into his pockets in hopes of bending the power of the government to the service of their interests.

A review by the editorial board relying on analyses from news organizations shows that Mr. Trump has used the office of the presidency to make at least $1.4 billion. We know this number to be an underestimate because some of his profits remain hidden from public view. And they continue to grow.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 6d

Just don't try to teach Plato in your "Great Books" programs!

Amy Laura Hall @profligategrace.bsky.social · 6d

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 6d

You can have Trump or Madison. You can't have both. My latest for @goodauth.bsky.social.

Good Authority @goodauth.bsky.social · 6d

Madison spelled out checks and balances. Are they still working in 2026?

Read our take, by @laywilliams.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/trump-s...

Trump sees himself as unconstrained. The Founders would disagree.

Trump sees himself as unconstrained. The Founders would disagree. The Constitution contradicts Trump’s belief that he’s limited only by his “own morality.”

goodauthority.org

Reposted by Anna O. Law, David Lay Williams

Good Authority @goodauth.bsky.social · 6d

Madison spelled out checks and balances. Are they still working in 2026?

Read our take, by @laywilliams.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/trump-s...

Trump sees himself as unconstrained. The Founders would disagree.

Trump sees himself as unconstrained. The Founders would disagree. The Constitution contradicts Trump’s belief that he’s limited only by his “own morality.”

goodauthority.org

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 6d

Watching Downfall right now. Hitter’s last supper scene is like a game plan for the current administration.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 7d

MLK speaking to us from the grave. From Beyond Vietnam (1967).

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 8d

This is a deeply unfortunate truth.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Bryan D. Jones, Inderjeet Parmar , and 3 more Steve Peers, Bryan D. Jones, Inderjeet Parmar, Charles W. Smith, Ariadne Vromen, David Lay Williams

Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 9d

A massive "Hands off Greenland" protest is happening right now in Copenhagen to demonstrate against Trump's threats.

"The aim is to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland's democracy," organisers said.

“Respect for Greenland, respect for Greenlanders, respect for Denmark.”

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 9d

American foreign policy to the left; Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract to the right.

Reposted by David Lay Williams

LSE Inequalities @lseinequalities.bsky.social · 9d

“What concerned Plato… was that inequality drove citizens apart and made their mutual friendship virtually impossible”

– @laywilliams.bsky.social on why arguments against inequality do not boil down to mere “envy” of the rich

#LSEInequalitiesBlog

Concern about inequality is not mere envy

Are those who object to inequality simply voicing their envy of the richl? If so, we must dismiss the principled arguments of Plato, Jesus, Hobbes, Mill and Marx

buff.ly

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 9d

Empathy awaits

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

3) For Plato, any state characterized by excessive inequality should absolutely start marching toward greater equality. But it's a process, involving laws (rather than executive fiat), cultural and educational reforms, and patience for the long game.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

2) Plato suggests that tyrants don't even intend to follow up with egalitarian measures. They just want the poor to think they're on their side, so they can go about enhancing their own power and personal wealth.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

1) I've argued that Plato was a great economic egalitarian. But he also warns in the Republic to beware of would-be tyrants who promise grand egalitarian reforms. Tyrants don't offer these out of genuine concern for the poor. They promise reforms merely to win popular support for tyranny.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10d

Kevin Hassett on Trump's 10% cap on credit card interest rates: "Our expectations is that it won't necessarily require legislation because there will be great new Trump Cards provided voluntarily by the banks."

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David R. Miller, David Lay Williams , and 1 more Kim L. Scheppele, David R. Miller, David Lay Williams, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10d

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

This is so very correct.

Paul Crider @paulcrider.liberalcurrents.com · 11d

I think, if I were to respond to Boudreaux et al, I'd suggest they are forgetting that wealth has no memory of its origin. They see a qualitative difference in premodern and modern economies, hence the Great Enrichment. Fair. But honestly-got concentrated wealth still means power disparities.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

"Let them eat . . . one piece of broccoli."

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 10d

Positively dystopian

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 11d

Thank you -- hope you enjoy it!

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 11d

Does not seem to care about that, so far as I can discern.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 11d

I mean, it's right there in the Manifesto! You don't have to read Capital to know this.

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 11d

I've drafted a response making this and several other points. Deciding whether it's worth posting somewhere.

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