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alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson
@alanrichardson.bsky.social
3.9K followers 1.4K following 11K posts

Professor of Philosophy, UBC
Faculty Member, Science and Technology Studies Graduate Program, UBC
Philosophy of Science
History of Philosophy of Science

Videos
Philosophy 46%
History 20%
Posts Replies Media Videos

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 1h
Hesse knew what was what
loadofbunk.bsky.social Paul L. Franco @loadofbunk.bsky.social · 1h
Mary Hesse on "the political aspect of...the Vienna Circle" and why analytic philosophers had "lost the urgency" of epistemological questions given that they "divorced their philosophy from ideological and practical interests" (1980, xiii).

archive.org/details/revo...
The revival of metaphysical realism after decades of positivism is one of the most remarkable features of current analytic philosophy. It may perhaps be traced to a fundamental difference of interest between analytic philosophers of the present generation and those who founded the positivist schools of epistemology. The difference may briefly be expressed by saying that the latter were concerned with what we can now to be true and wished to repudiate metaphysical claims to knowledge, specially because these tended to be associated with Hegelian tradition not only in philosophy but also in authoritarian religion and politcs. Liberalism and social democracy, the Vienna positivists though, were better defended in association with naturalistic knowledge. Modern analytic philosophers...have generally divorced their philosophical from their ideological and practical interests, and have therefore lost the urgency of the question 'How can we know?' Her reference: "R.S. Cohen, 'Neurath, Otto'...It is remarkable how little of the political aspect of the thought of the Vienna Circle was mentioned in connection with its philosophical history until recently." She tells the reader to contrast the articles in The legacy of logical positivism with Janik and Toulmin's Wittgenstein's Vienna.

Reposted by Alan Richardson

loadofbunk.bsky.social
Paul L. Franco @loadofbunk.bsky.social · 1h
Mary Hesse on "the political aspect of...the Vienna Circle" and why analytic philosophers had "lost the urgency" of epistemological questions given that they "divorced their philosophy from ideological and practical interests" (1980, xiii).

archive.org/details/revo...
The revival of metaphysical realism after decades of positivism is one of the most remarkable features of current analytic philosophy. It may perhaps be traced to a fundamental difference of interest between analytic philosophers of the present generation and those who founded the positivist schools of epistemology. The difference may briefly be expressed by saying that the latter were concerned with what we can now to be true and wished to repudiate metaphysical claims to knowledge, specially because these tended to be associated with Hegelian tradition not only in philosophy but also in authoritarian religion and politcs. Liberalism and social democracy, the Vienna positivists though, were better defended in association with naturalistic knowledge. Modern analytic philosophers...have generally divorced their philosophical from their ideological and practical interests, and have therefore lost the urgency of the question 'How can we know?' Her reference: "R.S. Cohen, 'Neurath, Otto'...It is remarkable how little of the political aspect of the thought of the Vienna Circle was mentioned in connection with its philosophical history until recently." She tells the reader to contrast the articles in The legacy of logical positivism with Janik and Toulmin's Wittgenstein's Vienna.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 1h
When the leadership passes to new people
rbreich.bsky.social Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 6h
Voters want a Democratic Party that fights back against the forces that have rigged the system and made their lives more difficult.

A party that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable —not a party that buckles and capitulates.

When will party leadership learn this lesson?

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Ian Campbell, Alan Richardson , and 6 more

drandrewthaler.bsky.social
Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 3h
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.

The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.

Why?

It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Daniel Kim, Alan Richardson , and 1 more

nationalobserver.com
Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 3h
NEW: Councillors and sources inside the City of Vancouver say the city's mayor, Ken Sim, will put forth a budget Wednesday that will eliminate the city's celebrated climate and sustainability department.
Vancouver mayor plans to eliminate city's climate and sustainability department
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is planning to eliminate the city's sustainability and climate department under the guise of a push to prevent increases to property taxes. Canada's National Observer learned a...
www.nationalobserver.com

Reposted by Alan Richardson

brasidas.bsky.social
brasidas @brasidas.bsky.social · 4h
These guys...

Andreesen said in an interview I heard that there's been "no new information in the Classics since the 1850s" and the amount of stupidity in that is wild. Just wild.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Alan Richardson, Aaron Sojourner , and 1 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5h
Trump: "I want the money to go into an account for people where they buy their own health insurance. It's so good. The insurance will be better. It'll cost less. Everybody is gonna be happy. They're gonna feel like entrepreneurs. They're actually able to go out & negotiate their own insurance"

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 6h
Academic indentured servitude

Reposted by Alan Richardson

charlottegarden.bsky.social
Charlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 6h
The proposal's definitions of "race ideology" and "gender ideology" are exactly as thoughtful and workable as you'd expect
“Race ideology,” the draft of the proposal says, would encompass any concept that “attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity” or “promotes activism on issues related to race or ethnicity rather than academic instruction.” The proposal would define “gender ideology” as “a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex.”

Reposted by Jan W. Mueller, Rebecca Tushnet, Alan Richardson , and 1 more

charlottegarden.bsky.social
Charlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 6h
Texas A&M reinventing "prior restraints"

www.texastribune.org/2025/11/10/t...
The Texas A&M University System will vote on Thursday on whether to prohibit faculty at its 11 universities from teaching “race or gender ideology” unless those lessons are pre-approved by each campus president or a delegate.

Reposted by Kimberly A. Prather, Alan Richardson

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 6h
Voters want a Democratic Party that fights back against the forces that have rigged the system and made their lives more difficult.

A party that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable —not a party that buckles and capitulates.

When will party leadership learn this lesson?

Reposted by Kimberly A. Prather, Alan Richardson, David Darmofal , and 1 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6h
In the most predictable development ever, Mike Johnson is not committing to hold a House vote on ACA subsidies

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 7h
I hereby read Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 7h
I love how Adobe now tells me a 14 pp document is “long” and offers an AI summary. Oh, sweetie, I’m an academic. 14 pp is almost absurdly short.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 7h
The Manhattan Real Estate Project has reached critical mass of stupidium.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h
Trump: "Nobody knows what magnets are."

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 7h
“We have a good poker hand. but what if we are playing bridge??”
rbreich.bsky.social Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 12h
Democrats were overwhelmingly united on their shutdown demands.

Americans understood that Trump and Republicans were to blame.

Voters made it known last Tuesday that they'll elect leaders who stand up to Trump.

Democrats held the cards — and folded for no reason.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Michael A. Clemens, Alan Richardson , and 2 more

wunc.org
WUNC News @wunc.org · 7h
UNC-Chapel Hill's chancellor says the university will not sign on to a higher education compact from the Trump administration.

www.wunc.org/education/20...
After faculty raise concerns, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor says university will not sign Trump's higher ed compact
Lee Roberts called the "preferential treatment" proposal a clear infringement on academic freedom.
www.wunc.org

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 7h
O ffs, what is the lethal dose of stupid? How am I still alive?
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7h
Mike Johnson on the Republican healthcare plan: "We've got notebooks full of ideas."

Reposted by Alan Richardson, David R. Miller

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7h
Mike Johnson on the Republican healthcare plan: "We've got notebooks full of ideas."

Reposted by Fabián Muniesa, Michael Kevane, Alan Richardson , and 3 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h
Trump: "Nobody knows what magnets are."

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 8h
Charlie Brown successfully negotiated Lucy into having a vote on whether he’ll be given the chance to kick the football.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 8h
An, an 8:30 am Monday final exam slot! My students are going to be stoked!!

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 8h
This is why Musk never wears rubbers
eleanor.lockhart.contact ellie lockhart (she/they) @eleanor.lockhart.contact · 8h
we live in an era where we are burning the legacy of civilization on the altar of men who don't want to do what their mothers told them when they were 6

Reposted by Alan Richardson

eleanor.lockhart.contact
ellie lockhart (she/they) @eleanor.lockhart.contact · 8h
we live in an era where we are burning the legacy of civilization on the altar of men who don't want to do what their mothers told them when they were 6

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 9h
Thread about how lacking in vision Vancouver city government is
kwardvancouver.bsky.social karen ward @kwardvancouver.bsky.social · 11h
42% of residents and 37% of businesses surveyed supported a 5% property tax increase in order to maintain the current level of services in the city of Vancouver

but wait there’s more

a lot more

1/?

council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 9h
Any university that is not quadrupling its Gender Studies budget to figure out what is going on with all the right wingers apparently sincerely using terms like “alpha” are really missing an opportunity.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 9h
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
Saints Peter and Paul, 15th century

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 10h
It makes me so angry to live at such a stupid time of the world
luckytran.com Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 10h
UPDATE: Canada has announced that it has lost its measles elimination status.

This is a direct result of the increase in anti-vax disinformation, which has caused large, sustained outbreaks in the country over the last year.
Canada is currently experiencing a large, multi-jurisdictional outbreak of measles that began in October 2024 with cases in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. While transmission has slowed recently, the outbreak has persisted for over 12 months, primarily within under-vaccinated communities. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has notified the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) that Canada no longer holds measles elimination status. PAHO's Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission reviewed recent epidemiological and laboratory data, confirming sustained transmission of the same measles virus strain in Canada for a period of more than one year.

alanrichardson.bsky.social
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 10h
Excellent news
pghguild.com Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh @pghguild.com · 11h
BREAKING: We won!

Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.

pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
A yellow bridge in front of a city background with three banners reading "POST-GAZETTE STRIKERS WILL WIN".

Reposted by Alan Richardson, Bessma Momani, Samantha Brennan

alexusherhesa.bsky.social
Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 10h
I know no media is covering the Canada Student Grant cuts, but it's real and it's going to cost several hundred thousand students about $1200 this year. Here's the explainer.
The Canada Student Grant Cut | HESA
Somewhat remarkably, no media have picked up the story that the Canada Student Grants were slashed in last week’s budget. Possibly, this is because the government did not issue a press release saying ...
higheredstrategy.com