Pete Wolfendale
@deontologistics.bsky.social
Wandering philosopher. Purveyor of Platonic heresy, Kantian computationalism, and Hegelian minimalism. (he/him/it which speaks)
Pinned
Obligatory pinned post: my new book, The Revenge of Reason, is now available to buy: www.urbanomic.com/book/the-rev...
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
I’m not kidding here either: quite clearly, the plan was “We’ll win and then everything will get better because everyone will recognise that we are awesome and love us, and then the economy will boom because that’s what economies do, isn’t it, sooner or later”.
November 8, 2025 at 12:05 PM
I’m not kidding here either: quite clearly, the plan was “We’ll win and then everything will get better because everyone will recognise that we are awesome and love us, and then the economy will boom because that’s what economies do, isn’t it, sooner or later”.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
One of the main reasons this mess is as bad as it is, is: the press and politicians decided some time in 2018/19 that it was No More Mr Nice Guy and gave themselves free rein to just go as apeshit as the wanted, screaming and roaring. And now it turns out the toothpaste doesn’t go back in the tube.
November 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
One of the main reasons this mess is as bad as it is, is: the press and politicians decided some time in 2018/19 that it was No More Mr Nice Guy and gave themselves free rein to just go as apeshit as the wanted, screaming and roaring. And now it turns out the toothpaste doesn’t go back in the tube.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Super excited to share this: 'On For the Love of,' my new lyric essay for London's alt-quarterly The Toe Rag
November 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Super excited to share this: 'On For the Love of,' my new lyric essay for London's alt-quarterly The Toe Rag
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
The way all of these people convinced themselves that Mamdani is antisemitic is a subject far more worthy of media examination than any of the ‘groupthink on campuses!’ thinkpieces we’ve been subjected to
November 5, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The way all of these people convinced themselves that Mamdani is antisemitic is a subject far more worthy of media examination than any of the ‘groupthink on campuses!’ thinkpieces we’ve been subjected to
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Because the left are viewed by the press and by our abysmal political class as hated enemies and as automatically and fundamentally illegitimate, in a way that even the nastiest and craziest right wingers are not. Because Thatcherism itself is their only non-negotiable red line.
November 5, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Because the left are viewed by the press and by our abysmal political class as hated enemies and as automatically and fundamentally illegitimate, in a way that even the nastiest and craziest right wingers are not. Because Thatcherism itself is their only non-negotiable red line.
Obligatory pinned post: my new book, The Revenge of Reason, is now available to buy: www.urbanomic.com/book/the-rev...
November 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Obligatory pinned post: my new book, The Revenge of Reason, is now available to buy: www.urbanomic.com/book/the-rev...
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
ah but i am neither right nor left, you see, i believe the best solution for economic inequality is to further loosen remaining restraints on capitalist expansion, and LGBTQ people deserve ALL rights currently enjoying majority support among straight whites in an ongoing dynamic poll updated hourly
November 3, 2025 at 3:54 AM
ah but i am neither right nor left, you see, i believe the best solution for economic inequality is to further loosen remaining restraints on capitalist expansion, and LGBTQ people deserve ALL rights currently enjoying majority support among straight whites in an ongoing dynamic poll updated hourly
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
everything else aside, “i got the issue i cover completely wrong for several years straight, anyway let’s all move on” is an incredible move.
November 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
everything else aside, “i got the issue i cover completely wrong for several years straight, anyway let’s all move on” is an incredible move.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Today is the official UK publication day for Silicon Empires! I'm excited to have it out and hear what people think.
There's an enormous amount happening every day in AI, and it's difficult to gain a stable perspective. I wrote the book to try and get some secure hold on that constant flux. 🧵
There's an enormous amount happening every day in AI, and it's difficult to gain a stable perspective. I wrote the book to try and get some secure hold on that constant flux. 🧵
October 31, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Today is the official UK publication day for Silicon Empires! I'm excited to have it out and hear what people think.
There's an enormous amount happening every day in AI, and it's difficult to gain a stable perspective. I wrote the book to try and get some secure hold on that constant flux. 🧵
There's an enormous amount happening every day in AI, and it's difficult to gain a stable perspective. I wrote the book to try and get some secure hold on that constant flux. 🧵
This may sound trite, but a key problem for definitions of intelligence as problem solving capacity is that some problems are genuinely insoluble (at least as posed). These definitions thus exclude the ability to recognise when this is the case (and thereby reorient our aims).
October 30, 2025 at 12:34 PM
This may sound trite, but a key problem for definitions of intelligence as problem solving capacity is that some problems are genuinely insoluble (at least as posed). These definitions thus exclude the ability to recognise when this is the case (and thereby reorient our aims).
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
This is all downstream of the US government steadily atrophying its ability to punish executives and board members who betray their investors.
It taught these guys how to screw their investors with raw power politics, and now they're applying that attitude to our entire system of government.
It taught these guys how to screw their investors with raw power politics, and now they're applying that attitude to our entire system of government.
the american financial elite, all at once, had abandoned capitalism in an attempt to purchase the power of the state.
October 27, 2025 at 1:32 AM
This is all downstream of the US government steadily atrophying its ability to punish executives and board members who betray their investors.
It taught these guys how to screw their investors with raw power politics, and now they're applying that attitude to our entire system of government.
It taught these guys how to screw their investors with raw power politics, and now they're applying that attitude to our entire system of government.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Here are my worst socio-political thoughts. I hope I am not really the person who believes these things.
sootyempiric.blogspot.com/2025/10/misa...
sootyempiric.blogspot.com/2025/10/misa...
Misanthropic Thoughts
What follows is not quite something I believe, nor even something I fear. It is something I fear I believe, my worst tendencies as a think...
sootyempiric.blogspot.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Here are my worst socio-political thoughts. I hope I am not really the person who believes these things.
sootyempiric.blogspot.com/2025/10/misa...
sootyempiric.blogspot.com/2025/10/misa...
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Almost like the problem is and always was elite radicalisation, and not Yer Da on Facebook
October 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Almost like the problem is and always was elite radicalisation, and not Yer Da on Facebook
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Labour are just all in on the "concede the basic framing to Reform, argue that they are preferable within that framework" approach and in addition to thinking it is bad on merits I also sincerely think it is going to get them absolutely mullered at the polls.
“We welcome those who come to this country, legally, and give more than they take. We believe the right to stay here must not be automatic, but that those who play their part should be able to earn that right."
October 21, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Labour are just all in on the "concede the basic framing to Reform, argue that they are preferable within that framework" approach and in addition to thinking it is bad on merits I also sincerely think it is going to get them absolutely mullered at the polls.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
as someone who lives in a country that unfortunately has a king, the US is correct
no kings means no fucking kings
no kings means no fucking kings
October 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
as someone who lives in a country that unfortunately has a king, the US is correct
no kings means no fucking kings
no kings means no fucking kings
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
I think part of this is, in the lifeworld of the discourse worker, you're more likely to find people from the right whose social and professional training involves code-switching for sales purposes.
I agree with whoever said a rather under-appreciated dynamic is the extent to which Professional Politics Opinion Havers flat out just find the left interpersonally irritating in a way they do not find the right so, and I think a lot of the talk of a vibe shift was wish-casting their irritants away.
October 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
I think part of this is, in the lifeworld of the discourse worker, you're more likely to find people from the right whose social and professional training involves code-switching for sales purposes.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
The UK has somehow managed 4 prime ministers in a row who have each been the worst prime minister of my lifetime, how are they even finding them with this consistency
October 18, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The UK has somehow managed 4 prime ministers in a row who have each been the worst prime minister of my lifetime, how are they even finding them with this consistency
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
A media/political class who don’t give a fuck about anything except endlessly running their dumb yakking mouths at each other and getting whatever it is they want, now sitting in the wreckage they have jointly created saying, Duh, does anyone have any good ideas
October 16, 2025 at 11:21 PM
A media/political class who don’t give a fuck about anything except endlessly running their dumb yakking mouths at each other and getting whatever it is they want, now sitting in the wreckage they have jointly created saying, Duh, does anyone have any good ideas
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
The reason people do NOT opt out of online dating, despite its engineered horrors, is because increasingly it's the only dating. Period.
October 17, 2025 at 12:43 AM
The reason people do NOT opt out of online dating, despite its engineered horrors, is because increasingly it's the only dating. Period.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
The absolute bloody vandalism of austerity in one chart. Good analysis of the overall picture here.
October 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The absolute bloody vandalism of austerity in one chart. Good analysis of the overall picture here.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
Two big changes to the precarity of the AI industry in the last year: (1) more and more companies are turning to debt to finance AI capex (see Meta, xAI, Oracle), and (2) OpenAI's flurry of deals in the past month are tying major companies to the fate of this startup
October 14, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Two big changes to the precarity of the AI industry in the last year: (1) more and more companies are turning to debt to finance AI capex (see Meta, xAI, Oracle), and (2) OpenAI's flurry of deals in the past month are tying major companies to the fate of this startup
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
I’ve heard people give variants on this argument for 30+ years, and mostly all they say is: we don’t understand either QM or consciousness, so they’re obviously the same thing.
I don’t want your “spooky” unification concepts, you better have a damn good theory, and I haven’t heard one yet.
I don’t want your “spooky” unification concepts, you better have a damn good theory, and I haven’t heard one yet.
New research suggests quantum cognition, a field applying quantum math to decisions, could finally connect microscopic brain processes with our conscious experience. #consciousness #cogsci
dailyneuron.com/quantum-cogn...
dailyneuron.com/quantum-cogn...
Quantum Cognition May Be the Missing Link to Understanding Consciousness - Daily Neuron
New research suggests quantum cognition, a field applying quantum math to decisions, could finally connect microscopic brain processes with our conscious experience.
dailyneuron.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
I’ve heard people give variants on this argument for 30+ years, and mostly all they say is: we don’t understand either QM or consciousness, so they’re obviously the same thing.
I don’t want your “spooky” unification concepts, you better have a damn good theory, and I haven’t heard one yet.
I don’t want your “spooky” unification concepts, you better have a damn good theory, and I haven’t heard one yet.
Reposted by Pete Wolfendale
the weak should fear the strong
October 8, 2025 at 11:48 PM
the weak should fear the strong