Grumpy Philosopher
@stevecooke.org
Grumpy. Associate Professor of Political Philosophy. Animal rights, ethics of activism, political philosophy.
Homepage: https://stevecooke.org/
Homepage: https://stevecooke.org/
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Grumpy Philosopher
@stevecooke.org
· Dec 5
Steve Cooke – Adventures in Philosophy
stevecooke.org
I've built myself a website, which includes a list of journals for animal rights philosophers to submit to (organised by publisher), a couple of syllabi, my essay writing guide for political philosophy students, & articles that philosophers say have changed their minds: stevecooke.org
Peter Mandleson asking ‘Do you really think I’d have spent all time with Epstein if I believed he was so terrible?’ [after he’d been convicted]! He apologises for a ‘system’ that didn’t hear the voices of women. Mate, it wasn’t just a system, it was also *you* as in individual, *you*!
January 11, 2026 at 9:49 AM
Peter Mandleson asking ‘Do you really think I’d have spent all time with Epstein if I believed he was so terrible?’ [after he’d been convicted]! He apologises for a ‘system’ that didn’t hear the voices of women. Mate, it wasn’t just a system, it was also *you* as in individual, *you*!
Jesus fucking Christ, the grandson of Oswald Moseley is representing Palantir & pushing militarism on Kuenssberg. We should be banning & shunning this company not giving them legitimacy and airtime. We’re in the middle of a crisis of authoritarianism so let’s invite their representatives to chat?!
January 11, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Jesus fucking Christ, the grandson of Oswald Moseley is representing Palantir & pushing militarism on Kuenssberg. We should be banning & shunning this company not giving them legitimacy and airtime. We’re in the middle of a crisis of authoritarianism so let’s invite their representatives to chat?!
Every time a politician says they won’t talk about hypotheticals journalists should take them at the word and refuse to let them talk about hypotheticals. ‘If we were in government…’ ‘Let me stop you there…’ ‘If we don’t take action on…then…’ ’Nope, not going to let you continue…’
January 11, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Every time a politician says they won’t talk about hypotheticals journalists should take them at the word and refuse to let them talk about hypotheticals. ‘If we were in government…’ ‘Let me stop you there…’ ‘If we don’t take action on…then…’ ’Nope, not going to let you continue…’
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Canadian Society for the History & Philosophy of Science (CSHPS) invites submissions for annual meeting, to be held in Halifax June 4-6, 2026. Submission Deadline: Monday January 19, 2026
Submission Portal: forms.gle/GVq5SZuLv1yE...
Webpage
cshps.ca
#HPS
Submission Portal: forms.gle/GVq5SZuLv1yE...
Webpage
cshps.ca
#HPS
Home - CSHPS/SCHPS
Call for Papers:
cshps.ca
January 10, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Canadian Society for the History & Philosophy of Science (CSHPS) invites submissions for annual meeting, to be held in Halifax June 4-6, 2026. Submission Deadline: Monday January 19, 2026
Submission Portal: forms.gle/GVq5SZuLv1yE...
Webpage
cshps.ca
#HPS
Submission Portal: forms.gle/GVq5SZuLv1yE...
Webpage
cshps.ca
#HPS
Sure, these goons are some of the most incompetent people alive, but there’s no reason to think malice and/or corruption aren’t more likely explanations.
oh my god. More details are surfacing about the catastrophic incompetence that led to the dietary guidelines' inaccurate claims about a litany of nutrient gaps in plant-based diets
January 10, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Sure, these goons are some of the most incompetent people alive, but there’s no reason to think malice and/or corruption aren’t more likely explanations.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
‘If a drug boasted such benefits [as the arts] governments would be pouring billions into it. Instead, funding has been slashed across the culture sector.’
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
January 10, 2026 at 4:37 PM
‘If a drug boasted such benefits [as the arts] governments would be pouring billions into it. Instead, funding has been slashed across the culture sector.’
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
an incredible amount of this shit is women standing up and saying fuck you and guys losing their minds about it
January 10, 2026 at 5:37 PM
an incredible amount of this shit is women standing up and saying fuck you and guys losing their minds about it
He is correct, it is censorship. This exactly illustrates that some censorship is good, and that only the very worst people are in favour of absolute unfettered freedom of speech. Another thing we ought to censor is hate speech, preferably by shutting X down entirely.
Preventing the sharing of sexualised images of children is “censorship” according to Elon Musk.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Musk says X outcry is 'excuse for censorship'
The government is urging Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
He is correct, it is censorship. This exactly illustrates that some censorship is good, and that only the very worst people are in favour of absolute unfettered freedom of speech. Another thing we ought to censor is hate speech, preferably by shutting X down entirely.
The argument in this piece is just bad. She claims the abusers will have won if their victims leave. What will what will they have won? They are on that site because they like abusing people - that's now the site's purpose. How does longer having anyone to abuse count as a victory for them?
Your occasional reminder that it's not the job of women to stay in toxic spaces in order to civilise men. (This piece is written by a woman, btw.) www.independent.co.uk/voices/grok-...
If women quit X because of Grok’s deepfake nudes, the predators win – so I’m staying
As women abandon X because of its use to generate non-consensual sexual imagery, the danger is not just what happens to those who stay, but what happens when abusers are left alone on the platform, sa...
www.independent.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 1:56 PM
The argument in this piece is just bad. She claims the abusers will have won if their victims leave. What will what will they have won? They are on that site because they like abusing people - that's now the site's purpose. How does longer having anyone to abuse count as a victory for them?
It's taken a few years, but I've finally framed and hung the painting I did of Mary Midgley shortly after her death. Now, she can stare over my shoulder when I'm in an online meeting or seminar, judging people who start on any bullshit.
January 10, 2026 at 12:25 PM
It's taken a few years, but I've finally framed and hung the painting I did of Mary Midgley shortly after her death. Now, she can stare over my shoulder when I'm in an online meeting or seminar, judging people who start on any bullshit.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
A dominant theme of Hitler's speeches in the late 1930s is that Germany was surrounded by threats. These threats were imaginary: it was Nazi Germany that threatened other nations. But they were used to justify pre-emptive attacks. Trump is following this script.
January 10, 2026 at 10:51 AM
A dominant theme of Hitler's speeches in the late 1930s is that Germany was surrounded by threats. These threats were imaginary: it was Nazi Germany that threatened other nations. But they were used to justify pre-emptive attacks. Trump is following this script.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred.
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
January 10, 2026 at 9:15 AM
The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred.
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Aye. Took longer than it should to realise that all those tossing 'disrupt' around as a give-me-money buzzword, meant dismantle or destroy...
"Move fast and break things," say the people who, in an uncanny coincidence, are responsible for breaking the entire planet at a terrifying speed.
January 10, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Aye. Took longer than it should to realise that all those tossing 'disrupt' around as a give-me-money buzzword, meant dismantle or destroy...
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
On the whole, I don’t need cereal with testicles.
January 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM
On the whole, I don’t need cereal with testicles.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Should the Dept of Education put schoolchildren on a site where this is now the norm/culture, not a surprise or exception? Now surrounded by porn, bots & racists too.
The Public Sector Equality Duty says no. For reasons of inertia, fame/£ & political class groupthink, different rules for Elon Musk
The Public Sector Equality Duty says no. For reasons of inertia, fame/£ & political class groupthink, different rules for Elon Musk
How government engagement on X works. A wholly typical post and a wholly typical reply.
January 9, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Should the Dept of Education put schoolchildren on a site where this is now the norm/culture, not a surprise or exception? Now surrounded by porn, bots & racists too.
The Public Sector Equality Duty says no. For reasons of inertia, fame/£ & political class groupthink, different rules for Elon Musk
The Public Sector Equality Duty says no. For reasons of inertia, fame/£ & political class groupthink, different rules for Elon Musk
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Overblown headline here, but interesting piece on the research taking seriously the idea that sperm whale sounds might constitute a language
atmos.earth/science-and-...
atmos.earth/science-and-...
We Are One Step Closer to Understanding Whales. What Now? | Atmos
An AI model originally trained to make music can turn any sound—including human speech—into sperm whale clicks.
atmos.earth
January 9, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Overblown headline here, but interesting piece on the research taking seriously the idea that sperm whale sounds might constitute a language
atmos.earth/science-and-...
atmos.earth/science-and-...
Surely has to be the end of Five Eyes and of NATO. Putin’s man in Washington really succeeding for him. Feels a bit scary to have so many US bases on European soil - they’ve gone from producing security to becoming a genuine threat. European leaders would be mad to let them stay now.
Trump: "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not because if we don't it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. If we don't do it the easy way we're gonna do it the hard way."
January 9, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Surely has to be the end of Five Eyes and of NATO. Putin’s man in Washington really succeeding for him. Feels a bit scary to have so many US bases on European soil - they’ve gone from producing security to becoming a genuine threat. European leaders would be mad to let them stay now.
It really upsets me that Trump and his cronies make me feel angry & hateful all the time. He corrupts everything, even those completely opposed to his evil.
January 9, 2026 at 9:33 PM
It really upsets me that Trump and his cronies make me feel angry & hateful all the time. He corrupts everything, even those completely opposed to his evil.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Hey climate action experts -- if you had to staff a climate table at a community day of action event, what would you do? What I've noticed is people want to do something, and in the past I've mostly given them info (I'm a journalist, whadya want) but if you have tips to make it more fun/action, lmk!
January 9, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Hey climate action experts -- if you had to staff a climate table at a community day of action event, what would you do? What I've noticed is people want to do something, and in the past I've mostly given them info (I'm a journalist, whadya want) but if you have tips to make it more fun/action, lmk!
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
I hope Alan Bennett is correct and that one day in the future humans will look back at the time we ate animals as something barbaric and incomprehensible.
THREAD. A collection of photographs of excellent sheep I have met on walks.
You will find the captions to each photo in the alt text.
You will find the captions to each photo in the alt text.
January 9, 2026 at 8:33 PM
I hope Alan Bennett is correct and that one day in the future humans will look back at the time we ate animals as something barbaric and incomprehensible.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
In political science, we define democratic backsliding most commonly as removing constraints on government that are either horizontal (checks & balances btwn branches) or vertical (btwn the people & govt).
The widening circle of Republican sabotage of direct democracy is textbook demo backsliding.
The widening circle of Republican sabotage of direct democracy is textbook demo backsliding.
Republican lawmakers in Missouri have advanced a constitutional amendment that would make citizen ballot measures much more difficult to pass. “If we can’t use the citizen-led initiative petition process, we’re done, we’re cooked,” says an advocate.
Under this GOP Measure, All of Missouri’s Recent Popular Initiatives Would Have Failed
Lawmakers just advanced a constitutional amendment to drastically raise the bar for approving citizen ballot measures. Voters get to weigh in on the scheme next year.
boltsmag.org
January 9, 2026 at 8:13 PM
In political science, we define democratic backsliding most commonly as removing constraints on government that are either horizontal (checks & balances btwn branches) or vertical (btwn the people & govt).
The widening circle of Republican sabotage of direct democracy is textbook demo backsliding.
The widening circle of Republican sabotage of direct democracy is textbook demo backsliding.
Reposted by Grumpy Philosopher
Dutch police in shootout with local kids 😱☃️
January 9, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Dutch police in shootout with local kids 😱☃️