Samantha Brennan

@samanthabrennan.bsky.social

3.8K followers 3.2K following 4.3K posts

Philosopher, feminist, ethicist, cyclist.
Dean of Arts, University of Guelph.
My Erdős number is 3.
My pronouns are she/her.🌈

http://linktr.ee/sjbrennan

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Samantha Jane Brennan is a British-born philosopher and scholar of women's studies who is currently dean of the College of Arts and faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Guelph. She was previously a professor in the Department of Women's Studies and Feminist Research at Western University, Canada. Brennan was Department Chair of Philosophy at Western from 2002 to 2007, and 2008–2011. She is a past president of the Canadian Philosophical Association (2017–18). .. more

Political science 53%

Sociology 13%

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Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · Nov 12

For new followers: My main bluesky themes are the College of Arts at Guelph where I'm Dean, philosophy (my home academic discipline), feminism and fitness (connected to my book and blog), and all things bike-related.

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 8m

Volume I of the Journal for New Narratives in the History of Philosophy is now published.

#philsky

journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/nn...

Journal for New Narratives in the History of Philosophy

journal.lib.uoguelph.ca

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 40m

One university boosted gender diversity in advanced maths by over 30% in 5 years – here’s how share.google/cTRgAHPHJiPn...

One university boosted gender diversity in advanced maths by over 30% in 5 years – here’s how

A lack of gender diversity in maths means technologies such as AI and quantum computing are mainly designed by – and for – men.

share.google

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan, Jason Lyall

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 9h

Pleased to share my new essay in @foreignaffairs.com on the broader implications of the Trump administration’s killing spree at sea.

www.foreignaffairs.com/central-amer...

America Unbound in the Caribbean

The real costs of Washington’s use of force.

www.foreignaffairs.com

Reposted by Samantha Brennan

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 16h

Adding another “papers, please” moment to the American experience.

NPR @npr.org · 16h

The National Park Service says it is going to start charging international tourists an extra $100 to enter popular parks. They will be left out of fee-free days, reserved for American residents. n.pr/48CbbII

National Parks to raise fees by $100 for international tourists to popular U.S. parks

The National Park Service says it is going to start charging international tourists an extra $100 to enter popular parks. They will be left out of fee-free days, reserved for American residents.

n.pr

Reposted by Samantha Brennan, Evan Roberts

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 23h

“WASHINGTON—Citing that a majority of Americans are irresponsible, easily distracted people who have little regard for other human beings, a new Dept of Transportation report revealed that it’s ‘actually kind of crazy’ that U.S. citizens are allowed to drive automobiles.”

The Onion strikes again.

Report: It Pretty Incredible That Americans Entrusted With Driving Cars

WASHINGTON—Citing that a majority of Americans are irresponsible, easily distracted people who have little regard for other human beings, a new Department of Transportation report revealed Wednesday t...

theonion.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

ICE Detains University of Oklahoma Professor With H-1B Visa, Colleague Says

www.newsweek.com/ice-detains-...

ICE detains University of Oklahoma professor with H-1B visa, colleague says

The professor was detained on his way to an academic conference in Washington DC.

www.newsweek.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

4. “Fundamentally Incompetent, Homophobia, Religion, and the Right to Parent, “ by Samantha Brennan and Colin Macleod, in Procreation, Parenthood, and Educational Rights, 2017.

Ch11_Brennan_McLeod_201601.pdf share.google/GyXxFMPY0xeA...

share.google

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

2. Millum, Joseph (2024). Lying to our children. Journal of Practical Ethics 11 (2).

3. de Vries, B. (2025). Mommy’s favorite: should parents try to love their children equally? Philosophical Psychology, 1–22. https://
doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2024.2421785 (doi.org/10.1080/0951...)

Mommy’s favorite: should parents try to love their children equally?

Scholars such as S. Matthew Liao have argued that parents have a moral duty to love their children. However, there exists an important related parental duty that has not been defended yet. Besides ...

doi.org

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

This week in my seminar on feminist perspectives on family ethics we are reading:

1. Connor K. Kianpour, THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT: Expanding the Role of the State in Parenting, Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy https://
doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v25i3.2109, Vol. 25, No. 3 · September 2023

Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy

I first argue that forms of regulated parenting are presumptively justified whereas private parenting is not. Then, I argue that the reasons we have to believe that regulated parenting is justified gi...

doi.org

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan , and 1 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan, David Darmofal

Steve Benen @stevebenen.com · 1d

An amazing new Trump controversy, Part II of II:

- Saturday afternoon: Trump says he spoke to Bolsonaro the night before and planned to see him “in the very near future”

- Monday afternoon: The Trump White House isn’t sure whether Trump actually had the conversation he referenced two days earlier

White House hedges on Trump’s curious claim about his call with Brazil’s Bolsonaro White House hedges on Trump’s curious claim about his call with Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro

Did the Republican president talk to Bolsonaro as the Brazilian plotted to escape? Trump said yes, but the White House isn’t so sure.

www.ms.now

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

Military considers a volunteer force to help defend Canada
With rising global and climate threats, the Canadian Armed Forces are proposing a civil force of 300,000 volunteers to boost national defence.

www.ctvnews.ca/video/2025/1...

Military considers a volunteer force to help defend Canada

With rising global and climate threats, the Canadian Armed Forces are proposing a civil force of 300,000 volunteers to boost national defence.

www.ctvnews.ca

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

Oh good God. Please don't ask me to watch a video. Love video transcripts.

Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · Sep 29

The real generational divide is people who refuse to watch a video if it could be an article versus people who refuse to read an article if it could be a video

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

Do Good December from Action for Happiness

fitisafeministissue.com/2025/11/25/d...

Do Good December from Action for Happiness

December’s calendar from Action for Happiness is all about small actions you can take to improve your own happiness levels while offering support and help to those around you. And while many …

fitisafeministissue.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Cas Mudde, Ben H. Ansell , and 71 more Jonathan Portes, Cas Mudde, Ben H. Ansell, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop, David M. Farrell, Will Jennings, Stefan Rahmstorf, David N. Thomas, Gavin A. Schmidt, Patrick A. Jansen, John Horgan, Steve Peers, Andrew Scott, Colin Murray, Mark D. White, Huw Price, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dirk Pilat, Charles West, Martijn W. Hesselink, Chris Hanretty, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Alison Phipps, Mary Corcoran, Anand Menon, Michelle Everson, Jo Barraket, Rebecca Tushnet, Ben Worthy, David R. Miller, Robert Wolfe, Gary D. Rawnsley, Aileen McHarg, Jacob T. Levy, Simon Glendinning, Scott A. Imberman, Julie Cupples, Lyndsey Stonebridge, Stephen Ryan, Samantha Brennan, Jonathan Birch, Anne Norton, Hubert Zimmermann, Leo McCann, Timothy Burke, Manuel Puppis, Graeme Warren, David Bartram, Lisa Diedrich, Brian Doucet, Ann Bartow, Stuart White, Pauline Stafford, Clayton Littlejohn, Rense Corten, Greg Linden, Jack Stilgoe, Lukas Graf, Jon Dean, Klaus Oschema, Christina Pagel, Daxton R. Stewart, Rune Møller Stahl, Olivier Mannoni, Camille Lefebvre, Aviel Roshwald, Colin Talbot, Tarik Abou‐Chadi, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Jeroen Van Bouwel, David Spurrett, François Guesnet, Speranţa Dumitru

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 1d

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 1d

Young adult queer winter retreat. Friends, help me spread the word!

#queersky

Project BoldFire - YA Winter 2026 share.google/c36CeVQSt9xT...

Project BoldFire - YA Winter 2026

Winter Retreat: February 27-March 1

share.google

Reposted by Samantha Brennan

Toronto Star @thestar.com · 1d

Injunction sought over Ontario’s international medical graduate residency rule — called ‘unlawful, unreasonable, unintelligible’

The rule requires candidates to have at least two years of high school in Ontario to be in the first round of matching for medical placements.

www.thestar.com

Reposted by Samantha Brennan

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

AI could replace 3m low-skilled jobs by 2035, research finds

Trades, machine operations and administrative roles are most at-risk, says leading educational research charity Up to 3m low-skilled jobs could disappear in the UK by 2035 because of automation and AI, according to a report by a leading educational research charity. The jobs most at risk are those in occupations such as trades, machine operations and administrative roles, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) said. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

Building a Thriving Canadian Economy?
A dispatch from a recent CSA Policy Pathways Conference

ccsip.substack.com/p/building-a...

Building a Thriving Canadian Economy?

A dispatch from a recent CSA Policy Pathways Conference

ccsip.substack.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

Please join The University of Guelph's, Industry Skills Ensemble to spend the evening celebrating diverse musical styles!
Don't miss out on this magical event which will leave you with lasting memories and inspire a newfound love for music of all kinds!

www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-indust...

The Industry Skills Ensemble Winter Concert

Please join The University of Guelph's, Industry Skills Ensemble to spend the evening celebrating diverse musical styles!

www.eventbrite.ca

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

Real estate website names Guelph 'best place to live in Canada'
Factors considered include home prices, crime rate, sunny days, walkability and more

www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/r...

Real estate website names Guelph 'best place to live in Canada'

Factors considered include home prices, crime rate, sunny days, walkability and more

www.guelphtoday.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

‘The arts and humanities celebrate what makes us human’

As deepfakes blur truth and political divides widen, the arts and humanities offer essential skills such as reflection and resilience. And, of course, they provide respite and balance.

www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/arts-...

‘The arts and humanities celebrate what makes us human’

As deepfakes blur truth and political divides widen, the arts and humanities offer essential skills such as reflection and resilience. And, of course, they provide respite and balance. Patty Raun expl...

www.timeshighereducation.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

The ultra-processed foods problem is driven by commercial interests, not individual weakness. Here’s how to fix it

theconversation.com/the-ultra-pr...

The ultra-processed foods problem is driven by commercial interests, not individual weakness. Here’s how to fix it

Without policy action and a coordinated global response, ultra-processed foods will continue to rise in human diets, harming health, economies. It’s time to act.

theconversation.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 2d

The world lost the climate gamble. Now it faces a dangerous new reality

theconversation.com/the-world-lo...

The world lost the climate gamble. Now it faces a dangerous new reality

The world bet on collective but voluntary action to keep global warming at a safe level.

theconversation.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 3d

"The humanities really are a resource — a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees

UC Berkeley, where the arts and humanities are thriving. They're hiring like crazy, and classes are full.

ls.berkeley.edu/news/humanit...

"The humanities really are a resource — a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees

This interview originally appeared on the Division of Arts

ls.berkeley.edu

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 3d

More evidence is in: ultra-processed food is a global health problem

fitisafeministissue.com/2025/11/23/m...

More evidence is in: ultra-processed food is a global health problem

We are probably all used to getting five-alarm headlines about the perils of some food or other, just to read later on “uh, never mind. It’s all good.” Nutritional research is inf…

fitisafeministissue.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 3d

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. passports of transgender people must now reflect the sex on their original birth certificate, reversing a decades-old policy.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/u...

New Passport Rule Sends Blunt and Sweeping Message to Trans Americans

www.nytimes.com

Samantha Brennan @samanthabrennan.bsky.social · 3d

“It’s an absolute gut punch”: McGill athletes reeling after 25 teams cut

www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/art...

“It’s an absolute gut punch”: McGill athletes reeling after 25 teams cut

Hundreds of McGill University student-athletes say they’ve been left devastated after learning the school will eliminate 25 varsity teams beginning in the 2026–2027 season.

www.ctvnews.ca

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Jacob T. Levy , and 2 more Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan, Manisha Sinha

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 4d

In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse.

In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.

Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 5d

It is good to see the pushback on Trump lead to real losses for him. But it's hard to be optimistic when he still wields the enormous power of the presidency. ICE is still rampaging, HHS is harming people, the U.S. may be about to sell out Ukraine, the boat strikes...he's still doing so much damage.