Jonathan Wolff | Lightnews

Jo Wolff

@jowolff.bsky.social

27K followers 3.5K following 17K posts

Jonathan Wolff,
Political Philosopher.
Fellow British Academy
Emeritus Professor Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford
Wolfson College
President The Royal Institute of Philosophy
THFC supporter in 'early season false hope’ mode.

#academic .. more

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Jonathan Wolff is a British philosopher. He is a Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy and Public Policy and Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford. He was formerly the Alfred Landecker Professor of Values and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. Prior to his joining the Blavatnik School in 2016, Wolff's academic career had been spent at University College London (UCL), where he was, latterly, Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. .. more

Political science 51%

Philosophy 14%

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · Nov 21

I’ve changed my header photo to this one. It shows my father Herbert and his sister Lotte with their parents Fritz and Marta in their Frankfurt apartment before Herbert and Lotte were sent to England on the Kindertransport, and later Fritz and Marta transported to Lodz Ghetto, final fate unknown.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 3h

I read a summary of Turing saying that machine intelligence would be more likely to be an able to mimic a child mind than an adult one. That seems to be where we are. It sees patterns everywhere but hasn’t learnt to discriminate between them.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 4h

News story warning people not to use AI to help plan their mountain walks. But sure, use it to govern the country.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 4h

It’s annoying being woke. We have far fewer insults we can fire off than the other side.

Reposted by Colm O’Cinneíde

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 4h

Trouble is, all these US de-regulators grew up in a world where’s there’s a button saying ‘Game Over. Try Again.’

Michael J. Stern @michaeljstern.bsky.social · 17h

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 5h

Not doing jigsaws with the grandkids this year Donald, and taking the dogs for a walk with your loving family?

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 14h

President Donald Trump gifted the world with nearly 200 Truth Social posts (and counting) on Christmas Day, where he amplified conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and called for a member of Congress to be deported.

Trump Posts Nearly 200 Times in Unhinged Christmas Day Spree

The president amplified conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and called for a member of Congress to be deported.

trib.al

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 6h

For me, nothing is a plan I hope to achieve. Has always been a struggle.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 6h

When I did appraisals I’d ask people: what do you want to have achieved in three years time and what are you planning to do next year to make it more likely to happen?

Thinking now, we also ought to plan this way about politics.

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff

Great art on Bluesky @art.feediverse.org · 6h

Oriental Poppies II #georgiaokeeffe #okeeffe

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 6h

I’m afraid that’s not good enough ChatGPT. Please call your manager.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 6h

Which church did leading Christian Donald Trump go to in celebration of Xmas? Or does he have his own private gold-coloured chapel?

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff

FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 7h

Niger Imposes Visa Ban on US Nationals in Retaliatory Move

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff, Rosemary A. Joyce, Alan Richardson , and 3 more Jonathan Wolff, Rosemary A. Joyce, Alan Richardson, Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan, David Darmofal

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 14h

Trump Posts Nearly 200 Times in Unhinged Christmas Day Spree

The president amplified conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and called for a member of Congress to be deported.

trib.al

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 20h

Understood. I still there are different ways of using the idea. Better to ignore each other than actively aim for harm.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 20h

Kindness would be wonderful for 2026 but for the time being I’d take mutual indifference over the outward hostility and hatred we have at the moment.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 21h

From the Karl Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell. Don’t know the manufacturer.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 22h

We didn’t do crackers this year, so I had to make up the cracker jokes:

Why does Santa take a run every day?

Because it’s good for his elf.

Why is Santa so good on TV?

Because he has such amazing presents.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 22h

Always looking for fun, those brothers.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 22h

It’s on my Kindle. That’s how I found it.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 22h

Well before AI I think.

Reposted by James Connelly

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 23h

My Xmas present to you all. The book cover that shows the most mistaken assumptions about the content of all time, I believe.

Cover of All Quiet on the Western Front with a cowboy on a horse.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe for when I’m alone then.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Er, have I been complaining about too much washing up?

Karl Marx tea towel. With picture of Marx and slogan ‘Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.’

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Not traditional Xmas music but round there’s nothing like Louis Prima to set the mood.

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff

Democracy:Differently Podcast @democracydiff.bsky.social · 1d

On the first day of christmas, our podcast gave to me: a powerful conversation with @jowolff.bsky.social on building a culture of respect in democracy @blavatnikschool.bsky.social

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Interest rates go up to 0.75 and the Japanese go wild.

Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 1d

UPDATE: We may see the first time English is displaced as the most popular language among Bluesky posters as soon as Americans head to sleep tonight.

Japanese users were close to achieving that feat at 7 am Eastern Time, and their activity is increasing at an exponential pace. This is remarkable.

bluesky post languages (15m MA) - by day. The red line is English and the light blue line is Japanese

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Absolutely right! I knew I’d missed something.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Wordle 1,650 2/6

Wouldn’t normally share but a little Xmas miracle.

🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

I remember a friend of my father (both Kindertransport kids) telling us in the 70s that he was barred from the local golf club in Canada where he lived.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

“It was because he was a noble that his passion for ideas and his attraction to socialism, which made him seek the company of young, pretentious and badly dressed students, attested to something genuinely pure and disinterested in him, though the same could not be said about them.” Thanks Proust.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

Is that a licence to become a jerk?

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1d

BREAKING: A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817 billion jackpot on the heels of the Christmas holiday, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.

A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion lottery jackpot

A Powerball player in Arkansas has snagged a $1.817 billion jackpot, ending the lottery’s three-month stretch without a winner.

bit.ly

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