Liam Shields
@liamshields.bsky.social
Political philosopher, thinking about childrearing, education equality, & distributive justice
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory @UoMPolitics
Former post-doc @stanfordethics
www.liamshields.com
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-just-enough.html
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory @UoMPolitics
Former post-doc @stanfordethics
www.liamshields.com
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-just-enough.html
Reposted by Liam Shields
Reform UK are seeking to fob off blame for their illegal leaflet on a printer error. That won’t stand up with the police - responsibility for making sure the law is followed lies with the party commissioning and distributing the leaflets.
February 8, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Reform UK are seeking to fob off blame for their illegal leaflet on a printer error. That won’t stand up with the police - responsibility for making sure the law is followed lies with the party commissioning and distributing the leaflets.
Reposted by Liam Shields
www.thetablet.co.uk/features/the...
A great discussion of @pjthinker.bsky.social and @mattsleat.bsky.social in @thetablet.bsky.social - perceptive, and challenging. Thanks to Theo Hobson. @lsegovernment.bsky.social @politybooks.bsky.social
A great discussion of @pjthinker.bsky.social and @mattsleat.bsky.social in @thetablet.bsky.social - perceptive, and challenging. Thanks to Theo Hobson. @lsegovernment.bsky.social @politybooks.bsky.social
The dark night of liberalism - The Tablet
Be careful what you wish for. A generation ago, it seemed unlikely that academic theology could ever have much influence on politics. Then one form of
www.thetablet.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 12:31 PM
www.thetablet.co.uk/features/the...
A great discussion of @pjthinker.bsky.social and @mattsleat.bsky.social in @thetablet.bsky.social - perceptive, and challenging. Thanks to Theo Hobson. @lsegovernment.bsky.social @politybooks.bsky.social
A great discussion of @pjthinker.bsky.social and @mattsleat.bsky.social in @thetablet.bsky.social - perceptive, and challenging. Thanks to Theo Hobson. @lsegovernment.bsky.social @politybooks.bsky.social
Reposted by Liam Shields
"But surely the biggest issue is we simply have a different legal relationship with our streets from that of almost any major US city. It’s not so much that jaywalking is legal here, as that it’s an entirely non-existent concept."
Of self-driving cars, and the non-existence of jaywalking
Also this week: the unexpected indeterminacy of rivers; and a barcode map of the UK.
jonn.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:13 PM
"But surely the biggest issue is we simply have a different legal relationship with our streets from that of almost any major US city. It’s not so much that jaywalking is legal here, as that it’s an entirely non-existent concept."
Reposted by Liam Shields
My column today: on why if AI creates a world where almost everyone has to live off UBI, we should throw away the machine instead:
UBI fans must remember a job is about more than the money
The value of work often gets left out of discussions about AI
www.ft.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:32 PM
My column today: on why if AI creates a world where almost everyone has to live off UBI, we should throw away the machine instead:
Reposted by Liam Shields
Today's newsletter: the one silver lining in a very dark cloud is that we should move away from our input target of 'we will spend 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035' to a capability target for defence:
Defence policy falters when given the wrong prompt
If the UK can no longer soothe the US with its pledges, it should refocus on what spending targets are actually for
www.ft.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Today's newsletter: the one silver lining in a very dark cloud is that we should move away from our input target of 'we will spend 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035' to a capability target for defence:
Reposted by Liam Shields
Better late than never—happy birthday, John!
More at philosophytalk.org/shows/philos....
#PhilSky #philosophy #work #job #retirement
More at philosophytalk.org/shows/philos....
#PhilSky #philosophy #work #job #retirement
January 17, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Better late than never—happy birthday, John!
More at philosophytalk.org/shows/philos....
#PhilSky #philosophy #work #job #retirement
More at philosophytalk.org/shows/philos....
#PhilSky #philosophy #work #job #retirement
Reposted by Liam Shields
Electric vehicles with off-grid solar are competitive with or cheaper than old style petrol/gaslone vehicles in many African countries before 2030; and cheaper in all countries by 2040 - often by a wide margin. That's even allowing for (high) financing costs. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 14, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Electric vehicles with off-grid solar are competitive with or cheaper than old style petrol/gaslone vehicles in many African countries before 2030; and cheaper in all countries by 2040 - often by a wide margin. That's even allowing for (high) financing costs. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Call for Submissions: Res Publica Postgraduate Essay Prize
Papers may be in any area of moral, legal, social or political philosophy. The submission deadline for the Prize is 30 April 2026.
More info: link.springer.com/journal/1115...
Papers may be in any area of moral, legal, social or political philosophy. The submission deadline for the Prize is 30 April 2026.
More info: link.springer.com/journal/1115...
January 12, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Call for Submissions: Res Publica Postgraduate Essay Prize
Papers may be in any area of moral, legal, social or political philosophy. The submission deadline for the Prize is 30 April 2026.
More info: link.springer.com/journal/1115...
Papers may be in any area of moral, legal, social or political philosophy. The submission deadline for the Prize is 30 April 2026.
More info: link.springer.com/journal/1115...
Reposted by Liam Shields
A few years ago I came across the great adventurer Daryl Davis, who still fascinates me today. When I was invited to be part of a book on public philosophy, I knew this was my chance to start sharing his story.
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/evidence-and...
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/evidence-and...
Breaking bread with the enemy - Nuffield Foundation
www.nuffieldfoundation.org
January 10, 2026 at 7:13 PM
A few years ago I came across the great adventurer Daryl Davis, who still fascinates me today. When I was invited to be part of a book on public philosophy, I knew this was my chance to start sharing his story.
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/evidence-and...
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/evidence-and...
Very hard to follow the African Cup of Nations on BBC website. The Senegal game is on right now and there's no mention of it in the sport or football tabs
January 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Very hard to follow the African Cup of Nations on BBC website. The Senegal game is on right now and there's no mention of it in the sport or football tabs
Reposted by Liam Shields
There is an odd irony in censoring the teaching of Plato in order (checks notes) to protect western civilization from tenured radicals.
Texas A&M actually tells a philosophy professor he may not teach Plato.
Texas A&M Bans Plato - Daily Nous
Drop the race and gender material from your course and the Plato readings, or teach a different course. You have a day to decide. That's a paraphrase of what Martin Peterson, professor of philosophy a...
dailynous.com
January 7, 2026 at 6:38 AM
There is an odd irony in censoring the teaching of Plato in order (checks notes) to protect western civilization from tenured radicals.
Reposted by Liam Shields
This drama which explores philosophy in prison looks excellent
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Waiting for the Out review – totally magnificent TV about philosophy in prison
Dennis Kelly’s brilliant drama about a teacher in prison is moving, gripping and almost painfully vulnerable – plus the main character decimates everyone at a middle-class dinner party. What more coul...
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:13 AM
This drama which explores philosophy in prison looks excellent
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Reposted by Liam Shields
‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge’: York University’s northerners fight back. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge’: York University’s northerners fight back
Lucy Morville, from Burnley, thought most students would be from the north and felt ‘culture shock’ surrounded by southerners
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:54 PM
‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge’: York University’s northerners fight back. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Liam Shields
Just like the Tories, Labour's centrist hacks think themselves omniscient and infallible - they cannot fail, they can only be failed. So when they do fail, they blame everyone else.
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
January 2, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Just like the Tories, Labour's centrist hacks think themselves omniscient and infallible - they cannot fail, they can only be failed. So when they do fail, they blame everyone else.
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
Some people are recommending using AI for the first draft or first response in customer service. The rationale: this saves the most labour.
But the tendency of this Gen of LLMs to go widely off piste is a greater risk at the start. But saving large amounts of routine labour looks less likely.
But the tendency of this Gen of LLMs to go widely off piste is a greater risk at the start. But saving large amounts of routine labour looks less likely.
January 2, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Some people are recommending using AI for the first draft or first response in customer service. The rationale: this saves the most labour.
But the tendency of this Gen of LLMs to go widely off piste is a greater risk at the start. But saving large amounts of routine labour looks less likely.
But the tendency of this Gen of LLMs to go widely off piste is a greater risk at the start. But saving large amounts of routine labour looks less likely.
Reposted by Liam Shields
If this claim is true he could certainly benefit from the publicity. I don’t recall hearing of him before.
“It’s hard to think of a more important English philosopher or cultural thinker this century than Mark Fisher.” Sukhdev Sandhu on the man who’s the subject of a new documentary:
The permanent influence of Mark Fisher
A new film grapples with one of the finest—and broadest—minds of the 21st century
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 7:10 AM
If this claim is true he could certainly benefit from the publicity. I don’t recall hearing of him before.
2026 will present challenges and set backs. Wishing you perspective and resilience for those hard times, and gratitude to appreciate the good times ahead.
December 31, 2025 at 7:57 PM
2026 will present challenges and set backs. Wishing you perspective and resilience for those hard times, and gratitude to appreciate the good times ahead.
At the start of 2025 I set myself a cycling target of 2000km. But in early February I broke my thumb and didn't cycle again until May. Today and yesterday I cycled a total of 101km to meet that goal.
December 31, 2025 at 7:56 PM
At the start of 2025 I set myself a cycling target of 2000km. But in early February I broke my thumb and didn't cycle again until May. Today and yesterday I cycled a total of 101km to meet that goal.
Up Les Lions de la Teranga!!!
December 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Up Les Lions de la Teranga!!!
Reposted by Liam Shields
CFP: Society for the Study of Measurement will be held at the University of Edinburgh
June 22-25, 2026. Submit proposals for papers, symposia, & poster on any topics in the theory, history, philosophy, & application of measurement by January 15, 2026 app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80364...
#HPS
June 22-25, 2026. Submit proposals for papers, symposia, & poster on any topics in the theory, history, philosophy, & application of measurement by January 15, 2026 app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80364...
#HPS
December 29, 2025 at 12:31 PM
CFP: Society for the Study of Measurement will be held at the University of Edinburgh
June 22-25, 2026. Submit proposals for papers, symposia, & poster on any topics in the theory, history, philosophy, & application of measurement by January 15, 2026 app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80364...
#HPS
June 22-25, 2026. Submit proposals for papers, symposia, & poster on any topics in the theory, history, philosophy, & application of measurement by January 15, 2026 app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80364...
#HPS
Merry Christmas everyone
December 24, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Merry Christmas everyone
Reposted by Liam Shields
Healthcare systems must balance climate responsibility with patient care. A new paper suggests using sufficientarianism to set emissions limits, ensuring everyone has “enough” health care. Explore this ethical approach to sustainable health: tinyurl.com/2k7xrsz4 #ClimateJustice #HealthEquity
September 2, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Healthcare systems must balance climate responsibility with patient care. A new paper suggests using sufficientarianism to set emissions limits, ensuring everyone has “enough” health care. Explore this ethical approach to sustainable health: tinyurl.com/2k7xrsz4 #ClimateJustice #HealthEquity
Here are some thoughts that Laura Ferracioli (Sydney) and I had on the argument for a social media ban in Australia.
Same applies to the UK
publicethics.org/post/social-me…
Same applies to the UK
publicethics.org/post/social-me…
December 22, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Here are some thoughts that Laura Ferracioli (Sydney) and I had on the argument for a social media ban in Australia.
Same applies to the UK
publicethics.org/post/social-me…
Same applies to the UK
publicethics.org/post/social-me…