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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

@neufeld.bsky.social

2K followers 510 following 290 posts

Political philosopher. Fantasy enthusiast. Torontonian. Anti-AI zealot. My book: Public Reason and Political Autonomy (Routledge, 2022). My work: https://uwm.edu/philosophy/people/neufeld-blain/ My hobby: https://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · Feb 25

NDPR has posted Andrew Lister's insightful review of my book, "Public Reason and Political Autonomy" (Routledge, 2022).

#philsky
#philosophy
#poltheory
#polphil

Public Reason and Political Autonomy: Realizing the Ideal of a Civic People

Blain Neufeld claims that public reason makes possible political autonomy in a pluralistic society. His starting point is an ideal of democratic freedom...

ndpr.nd.edu

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 6h

“Six days before the nail-biting 1995 Quebec referendum that nearly tore the country apart, Jean Chrétien told his ministers to keep their cool.“

I’m old enough to remember when Quebec separation was the big existentialist threat to Canada, not a fascist unhinged US government. *sigh*

Records reveal what Chrétien told ministers before Quebec referendum

MONTREAL - Six days before the nail-biting 1995 Quebec referendum that nearly tore the country apart, Jean Chrétien told his ministers to keep their cool.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

David Moscrop @davidmoscrop.com · 1d

Me when the coffee shop fills up with customers minding their own business: What are you people doing in my office? Go home.

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Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 1d

“Restore merit, end DEI” says man who could only get elected in Canada’s safest Conservative stronghold

OTTAWA - Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has launched a petition to "end DEI programs and restore merit", just months after losing his own heavily-favoured seat before running in an even more hea...

www.thebeaverton.com

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 2d

Or, to be fair, Humeans...

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 2d

"But most individuals are reciprocators..."
I.e., Rawlsians (whether they know it or not!)

Pablo Magaña @pmagana94.bsky.social · 2d

lol

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 3d

Thoroughly unsurprising…

The More Scientists Work With AI, the Less They Trust It

A preliminary report shows that researchers' confidence in AI software dropped off a cliff over the last year.

futurism.com

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 3d

*sigh* 😕

Sandel Wins 2025 Berggruen Prize - Daily Nous

Michael Sandel, professor of government at Harvard University, is the 2025 winner of the $1 million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The Berggruen Institute hailed Sandel as "one of the wor...

dailynous.com

Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · Aug 27

"I became a hater by doing ... those things AI cannot do: reading and understanding...; thinking and reasoning about ideas; considering the meaning of my words and their context;... AI cannot be a hater, because AI does not feel, or know, or care. Only humans can be haters. I celebrate my humanity."

I Am An AI Hater

I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.

anthonymoser.github.io

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Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 7d

The advice I give young people on choice of degree programme. Choose something you love. You’ve got the rest of your life to be frustrated and miserable.

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Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 7d

Yankees fans still booing in vain hopes of overturning Jays victory

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Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 8d

I feel like I'm seeing this all the time now: A Reddit post, a YouTube video, etc. lamenting the dire effects of the proliferation of AI (in this case a teacher talking about their students being rendered unable to think and learn) followed directly by an ad for an AI product

Reddit post from a teacher lamenting that AI is making their students unable to learn, followed directly by an ad for Microsoft's AI product

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 8d

You still can! (It took me 20 years to publish something from my dissertation…)

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 8d

… (unlike, say, the basic liberties). /4

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 8d

Nothing stops political liberals from advocating for liberal socialism, or even arguing (”as theorists”) that it is the most effective way to counter right-wing populism. They just can’t override democratic decision-making processes in claiming that it is *required* for liberal justice… /3

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 8d

“But this doesn’t rule out the possibility that socialism is the strongest response to right-wing populism. All it means is that, whether or not that is true, political liberals (speaking as theorists) cannot say it.“ Nothing stops political liberals from advocating for liberal socialism… /2

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 8d

A solid review of an important book.
But I found the claim at the end of the review rather puzzling… /1

Politicizing Political Liberalism: On the Containment of Illiberal and Antidemocratic Views

Right-wing populists are gaining support in liberal democracies around the world. In considering how to respond to the spread of illiberal and antidemoc...

ndpr.nd.edu

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 15d

A minor thing, given everything that is happening in the world, but I'm sad to learn that the Imperial Pub is closing.
Even though I haven't been there in years, I have many fond memories of this place. *sigh*

Toronto's iconic Imperial Pub to close after decades in business

The Imperial Pub, located on Dundas Street East near Yonge, confirmed the closure on its official website with a simple farewell.

toronto.citynews.ca

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 15d

I can't believe it. It's been years since I've been there, but I have many fond memories of that place... *sniff*

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 15d

Heh, that's how I feel about Locke! Rousseau and Hobbes are my absolute favourites to teach.

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 15d

This looks great! I look forward to reading it when it comes out (and I find some time).

Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 15d

One for the "AI is not sentient you idiot" files

Halloween name @bootsmcgoot.bsky.social · 15d

"i just use it to generate ideas"

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 16d

www.thebeaverton.com/2025/09/riya...

Riyadh Comedy Festival opens with up-and-coming executioner

RIYADH, KSA – As Saudi Arabia’s new comedy festival welcomes talent from around the world, local executioner Imad Usman is excited for the opportunity to perform in front of larger audiences.

www.thebeaverton.com

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Reposted by Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦

David Lay Williams @laywilliams.bsky.social · 22d

Per John Stuart Mill in his Chapters on Socialism, the three main sources of wealth are luck, vices like "hard-hearted, cold-fisted selfishness" and sycophancy, and "downright knavery."

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Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 22d

"Protestant Franco" strikes me as a decent indie band name.

Blain Neufeld 🇨🇦 @neufeld.bsky.social · 23d

“It would be ideal if Klein felt the burning commitment to justice that [Bertrand] Russell felt [...]
But if he can’t manage that, he could still spare us the sanctimony. [...] He could, if nothing else, have the common decency to be ashamed.”

How Can We Live Together? - Boston Review

Ezra Klein is wrong: shame is essential.