Digressionsimpressions
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Digressionsimpressions
@nescio13.bsky.social
6.4K followers 1.6K following 4.2K posts
Philosopher who got a gig as political theorist at University of Amsterdam; also known as Ghent Zeppelin. I have a daily substack:
https://digressionsimpressions.substack.com/publish
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I removed a post because a comment by Michael Kremer convinced me it was misleading.
Here's the story: in a relatively systematic, old-fashioned literature survey (that is, I read lots!) I found an interesting result. Then I thought it would be cute to present it visually through scholar.google
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scholar.google
February 14, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Kantian federalism has no better PR than Star Trek
February 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
lastpositivist.bsky.social
What kinds of philosophers attract cults of the personality and why? Is it some kinda personality disposition of people who go into the humanities? Does being like this about Wittgenstein or Marx or Heidegger make you more like this for political leaders, is it related to authoritarian personality?
February 13, 2026 at 8:31 AM
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paulkelleher.net
In addition, this account of why Rawls moved to political liberalism is incorrect. He was clear & consistent: *he* found an inconsistency in TJ, and he wanted to fix it. That he retained his 2 principles of DJ shows he wasn't responding to criticisms of them.
www.persuasion.community/p/the-unexpe...
A Theory of Justice attracted a great deal of attention, and a great deal of criticism, when it was published in 1971. At the time, Rawls was still treating questions of political philosophy (such as “what is justice?”) the same way that Plato did—as a set of intellectual puzzles that needed to be solved (such that, once we figure out what justice is, we can proceed to build a society that will embody the ideal). The problem that he immediately encountered was also as old as Plato. Having put forward his most clever argument in support of his favored conception of justice, he found that most people still disagreed, and insisted on defending their own quite different views. This led to the second big move in Rawls’ work
February 13, 2026 at 2:54 PM
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On Joe (Heath) on Jack (Rawls) and the profession.
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
Responding to @josephheat.bsky.social [HT @dailynous.com ]
On Joe (Heath) on Jack (Rawls) and the profession.
For non-regular readers let me offer a preliminary statement so you understand the spirit of what follows.
open.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:03 PM
@dailynous.com's Heap of Links had me smiling for all the wrong reasons
February 13, 2026 at 3:27 AM
I have held a life-long grudge against Mellon foundation, which gave me a nice PhD fellowship (one year), in which the small print stipulated I was not allowed to accept another fellowship during my PhD and then had this contract enforced.
February 13, 2026 at 3:21 AM
I usually don't like the market vs government failure framing, but the Trump administration's attack on Moderna may change my mind.
Also, what kind of ruling class takes this kind of risks with everyone's public health?
February 13, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
epicureandealmaker.bsky.social
Iron-ic
February 13, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Moderna refuse to bribe?
February 13, 2026 at 2:06 AM
On Joe (Heath) on Jack (Rawls) and the profession.
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
Responding to @josephheat.bsky.social [HT @dailynous.com ]
On Joe (Heath) on Jack (Rawls) and the profession.
For non-regular readers let me offer a preliminary statement so you understand the spirit of what follows.
open.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
mddoogie3.bsky.social
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.

I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”

1/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
BTW I love Joe Heath's scholarly work, but as a historian of 20th-cent pol phil he is just making stuff up. In focusing on the basic institutions of society Rawls is echoing Halevy on Bentham and the 19th cent liberal art of government as....drumroll...Rawls cites in TJ.
#shouldgiftsubscription2D&I
February 11, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Asking for a PHD student...what is some useful secondary literature on Hobbes to prepare teaching Leviathan. Self-nominations fine.
February 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
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jowolff.bsky.social
David Hume is normally regarded as one of the most stylish writers of the those who wrote philosophy in English (though Hobbes is more quotable). Bagehot, apparently, was not so impressed. And Adam Smith gets a working over too. Great article.
February 11, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
jholbo.bsky.social
Bagehot on the language of Smith and Hume is very funny. You should read it. (The rest of the post is interesting, too.)
February 11, 2026 at 6:04 AM
Husserl on Galileo and the Primary and Secondary Quality Distinction
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
Husserl on Galileo and the Primary and Secondary Quality Distinction
Last week’s nitpicky post (here) on Husserl’s treatment of Galileo generated a number of polarized (mostly private) emails: some felt I had been unfair to or misleading on Husserl, while others though...
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I know husserl's treatment of galileo is not supposed to be historical-empirical in character, but even heidegger and nietzsche are more constrained by the (ahh) historical facts...
February 11, 2026 at 12:04 AM
On Bagehot's Criticism of Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
On Bagehot's Criticism of Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Professional philosophers — and perhaps other academics — have a ritual of politeness and inquisitiveness in asking each other, ‘what are you working on?’ The implicature of this question is sufficien...
open.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:38 PM
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sethabramson.bsky.social
Around the world, politicians and businessmen are resigning from their positions because of the Epstein Files.

Except in the United States.

Here: Zero shame, zero consequences.

We need resignations, investigations, impeachments, and punishments now. Should have been years ago.
February 8, 2026 at 10:43 PM
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On Husserl on Galileo
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
On Husserl on Galileo
One of the joys of a sabbatical is that you take classes on topics or books you wished you had done/read as an undergraduate.
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:46 PM
On Husserl on Galileo
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
On Husserl on Galileo
One of the joys of a sabbatical is that you take classes on topics or books you wished you had done/read as an undergraduate.
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:46 PM
On Hume's account of the origin of democratic despotism
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
On Hume's account of the origin of democratic despotism
It is well known, perhaps even to my readers, that Hume was quite interested in Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws (1748) when it was on the (printer’s) anvil.
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:06 PM
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positivesubway.bsky.social
Another one for the “the Times really needs an ombudsman” file

Three reporters on this for months, tons of breathless push alerts and promises that Harvard was about to bend the knee…did things change, or did preserving access cloud their vision on this all along?
robertkelchen.com Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 12d
The Trump administration is no longer trying to get cash from Harvard as it seeks a settlement. At this point, the White House seems happy to get a signature on anything they can call a compact.
Trump Drops Demand for Cash From Harvard After Stiff Resistance
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM
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Adam Smith on Good Public Management
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
Adam Smith on Good Public Management
The prudent man is not willing to subject himself to any responsibility which his duty does not impose upon him.
open.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:41 PM