Dani Wenner
@daniwenner.bsky.social
political philosopher, okra & orca lover, nogoodnik
she/her/Dr
she/her/Dr
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Dani Wenner
@daniwenner.bsky.social
· Mar 5
Structural Injustice, Exploitation, and Static Non-Ideal Theory
This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.We argue for two claims in this paper. First, we argue that existing taxonomies of ideal and non-ideal theory must be expa...
journals.publishing.umich.edu
Very excited to share that this paper co-authored with Derrick Gray is finally making its way into publication. In this paper, we use debates about exploitation to complicate taxonomies of ideal and non-ideal theory, and to highlight a problematic ideological bent in some non-ideal theorizing 🧵
Reposted by Dani Wenner
It is hard to overstate the stress produced by the incoherence of academic institutions pumping generative AI when they want to play business and then leaving instructors to deal with the results when they want to play school
Cheating with an LLM is the easiest thing in the world for a student to do, but it creates a massive, laborious headache for a prof, if you intend to take it seriously. There’s meetings, emails, discussions, moral dilemmas. It’s just incredibly burdensome, on top of everything else right now.
I had 9 meetings about students using Chat GPT/LLMs on their papers today.
If you want to know why professors burn out, ask anyone trying to teach critical thinking and writing skills to Freshmen....
If you want to know why professors burn out, ask anyone trying to teach critical thinking and writing skills to Freshmen....
October 28, 2025 at 1:45 PM
It is hard to overstate the stress produced by the incoherence of academic institutions pumping generative AI when they want to play business and then leaving instructors to deal with the results when they want to play school
I would sincerely like for my colleagues to read this
Belgian AI scientists are advocating *against* the use of AI in academia. “If independent thinking is no longer encouraged at university, where would it?” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 25, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I would sincerely like for my colleagues to read this
Not only an embarrassing decision for an institution of higher education, but also deeply dishonest to frame as "harmless" given the environmental and resource costs associated with this technology. Shame
triblive.com/local/region...
triblive.com/local/region...
October 24, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Not only an embarrassing decision for an institution of higher education, but also deeply dishonest to frame as "harmless" given the environmental and resource costs associated with this technology. Shame
triblive.com/local/region...
triblive.com/local/region...
Reposted by Dani Wenner
A Bard College student was kidnapped by ICE and Bard’s administration is advocating for his release and has created a website to assist the rest of the community in joining them.
That’s what academic leaders should be doing for their students right now. www.instagram.com/p/DQKSTDJkeF...
That’s what academic leaders should be doing for their students right now. www.instagram.com/p/DQKSTDJkeF...
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October 24, 2025 at 1:49 AM
A Bard College student was kidnapped by ICE and Bard’s administration is advocating for his release and has created a website to assist the rest of the community in joining them.
That’s what academic leaders should be doing for their students right now. www.instagram.com/p/DQKSTDJkeF...
That’s what academic leaders should be doing for their students right now. www.instagram.com/p/DQKSTDJkeF...
Reposted by Dani Wenner
every real writer who thinks hard about what they want to say and then sits down and writes it feels like a fraud, and the people who have the computer write the book for them feel like accomplished authors
That’s the other thing that baffles me about AI and creative writing, actually.
The work IS the joy for me. I don’t want to be able to snap my fingers and have a completed “product.” I want to be transformed by the process. I’m an author but I do this because I enjoy the rigor of being a writer.
The work IS the joy for me. I don’t want to be able to snap my fingers and have a completed “product.” I want to be transformed by the process. I’m an author but I do this because I enjoy the rigor of being a writer.
In terms of process, I enjoy writing but revising????? Oh, that’s my real kink. A second or third draft???? A fourth???? Making tweaks on my desktop AND my phone???? *moans* I’m a WHORE for revision.
October 20, 2025 at 2:47 AM
every real writer who thinks hard about what they want to say and then sits down and writes it feels like a fraud, and the people who have the computer write the book for them feel like accomplished authors
Reposted by Dani Wenner
We just gave $40 billion to a country that is screwing us by selling to China, so China doesn't have to buy from or deal with the US.
That's almost the entire budget for USAID, except instead of saving one South American dude, we could have saved millions of children.
That's almost the entire budget for USAID, except instead of saving one South American dude, we could have saved millions of children.
October 17, 2025 at 5:25 AM
We just gave $40 billion to a country that is screwing us by selling to China, so China doesn't have to buy from or deal with the US.
That's almost the entire budget for USAID, except instead of saving one South American dude, we could have saved millions of children.
That's almost the entire budget for USAID, except instead of saving one South American dude, we could have saved millions of children.
I hope that Tressie is right here, which in itself is a pretty bleak reflection of where we are
In about three years the entire university pivot to AI curricula and schools and programs is going to be so deeply embarrassing. We will all pretend it never happened and I will be standing there, looking at people with a mirror in my eyes. This is all so embarrassing.
October 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I hope that Tressie is right here, which in itself is a pretty bleak reflection of where we are
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Nothing could possibly go wrong with this. Creating a lifelike digital avatar on a third party platform will definitely not open teaching staff up to career destroying issues in the event of that platform being hacked.
Exclusive: Teachers will use 'deepfake' technology to create an AI avatar of themselves to deliver catch-up lessons for pupils who have missed school
Watch one of the school’s ‘deepfake’ teachers in our story below
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-trus...
Watch one of the school’s ‘deepfake’ teachers in our story below
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-trus...
'Deepfake' teacher avatars to help pupils catch up
Academy trust staff to use AI generator to introduce resources for pupils returning to school
schoolsweek.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Nothing could possibly go wrong with this. Creating a lifelike digital avatar on a third party platform will definitely not open teaching staff up to career destroying issues in the event of that platform being hacked.
relatedly, I am teaching this huemer piece in the graduate section of my political theory course this semester and it's pretty wild how well huemer diagnosed the vulnerability of rawlsian liberalism that we are seeing play out in real time rn
www.jstor.org/stable/23559...
www.jstor.org/stable/23559...
October 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
relatedly, I am teaching this huemer piece in the graduate section of my political theory course this semester and it's pretty wild how well huemer diagnosed the vulnerability of rawlsian liberalism that we are seeing play out in real time rn
www.jstor.org/stable/23559...
www.jstor.org/stable/23559...
had the occasion to reread Rawls on overlapping consensus and public reason this week and this passage stuck out to me in retrospect as rather prescient
October 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
had the occasion to reread Rawls on overlapping consensus and public reason this week and this passage stuck out to me in retrospect as rather prescient
ResearchGate is now sending me unsolicited advertisements for "green card profile evaluations" from immigration attorneys, this is a sign that we live in a normal, well-functioning society
October 9, 2025 at 3:58 PM
ResearchGate is now sending me unsolicited advertisements for "green card profile evaluations" from immigration attorneys, this is a sign that we live in a normal, well-functioning society
Reposted by Dani Wenner
A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.
October 9, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
People think they’re taking down a rich intellectual sinecure but they’re mostly terrorizing committed public servants who make $58,000 a year after 15 years of experience at a school that has to budget creatively so students can access textbooks.
This new column by @tressiemcphd.bsky.social makes me think about when I recently had to talk to the police for yet another safety plan, I tried to “lighten” the mood by saying that we all knew this wasn’t my first rodeo. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...
October 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
People think they’re taking down a rich intellectual sinecure but they’re mostly terrorizing committed public servants who make $58,000 a year after 15 years of experience at a school that has to budget creatively so students can access textbooks.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Either most universities get shoehorned into the Trump scheme, eliminating the funding advantage, or a subset take the poisoned fruit and are isolated by peers who rightly view this as blood money and cheating.
There is no upside for any university to take the deal.
There is no upside for any university to take the deal.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ... UT Austin is one of the 9 schools offered a deal: accede to White House demands and get funding priority
Exclusive | White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage
An initial round of nine schools is being asked to sign a wide-ranging accord.
www.wsj.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Either most universities get shoehorned into the Trump scheme, eliminating the funding advantage, or a subset take the poisoned fruit and are isolated by peers who rightly view this as blood money and cheating.
There is no upside for any university to take the deal.
There is no upside for any university to take the deal.
"a laborious exposition of nozick's expository sloppiness appears as an addendum at the end of this chapter" 💀
October 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM
"a laborious exposition of nozick's expository sloppiness appears as an addendum at the end of this chapter" 💀
Objecting to the scheduling of workshop speakers in alphabetical order on the grounds that I don't wanna go last 😭
October 1, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Objecting to the scheduling of workshop speakers in alphabetical order on the grounds that I don't wanna go last 😭
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Pfizer "secured a three-year grace period from President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on pharmaceuticals" and in return will "sell some drugs at a 50% average discount on a direct-to-consumer website called TrumpRx"
looks like state capitalism to me
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
looks like state capitalism to me
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Pfizer Gets Three-Year Reprieve From Trump Pharma Tariffs
Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said the company secured a three-year grace period from President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on pharmaceuticals in a deal that would lower some o...
www.bloomberg.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Pfizer "secured a three-year grace period from President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on pharmaceuticals" and in return will "sell some drugs at a 50% average discount on a direct-to-consumer website called TrumpRx"
looks like state capitalism to me
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
looks like state capitalism to me
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Yesterday the main quad on campus had a big google gemini tent, giving away big bags of schwag to students and advertising "free student accounts" and just what are we doing here? Are we a university or nah?
September 30, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yesterday the main quad on campus had a big google gemini tent, giving away big bags of schwag to students and advertising "free student accounts" and just what are we doing here? Are we a university or nah?
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Faculty should strike. Shut it all down. We teach from research not the whims of dummies.
Breaking: Texas Tech chancellor limits academic mentions of transgender and nonbinary identities at five universities.
Texas Tech chancellor limits academic mentions of transgender and nonbinary identities at five universities
Advocacy groups say the new state law, presidential executive order and gubernatorial letter Tedd Mitchell cited do not prohibit classroom discussions of particular LGBTQ+ identities.
www.texastribune.org
September 27, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Faculty should strike. Shut it all down. We teach from research not the whims of dummies.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Autism doesn’t stop at 18. There are plenty of autistic adults that often get left behind during media coverage because the focus is often on moms of autistic children. It’s another way to erase autistic people’s personhood.
I feel like news publications should put more energy into asking autistic people how they feel about all this because…
September 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Autism doesn’t stop at 18. There are plenty of autistic adults that often get left behind during media coverage because the focus is often on moms of autistic children. It’s another way to erase autistic people’s personhood.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they don't mean tearing down the ableist barriers that discriminate against and disadvantage autistic people in all facets of American life.
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they mean the existence of autistic people is the problem.
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they mean the existence of autistic people is the problem.
September 23, 2025 at 7:55 PM
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they don't mean tearing down the ableist barriers that discriminate against and disadvantage autistic people in all facets of American life.
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they mean the existence of autistic people is the problem.
When @politico.com says "the autism problem" they mean the existence of autistic people is the problem.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
The lie is that glasses are made to liberate you from screens. The purpose of the glasses is to make sure you have no experiences except those mediated through a companies’ technology.
Analysis | America can’t quit smartphones. Smart glasses won’t help.
We keep hoping that a magical technology can liberate us from what we don’t like about technology.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
The lie is that glasses are made to liberate you from screens. The purpose of the glasses is to make sure you have no experiences except those mediated through a companies’ technology.
Reposted by Dani Wenner
Trump just announced that he always knew more about autism than the experts who‘ve studied it. Obviously, a very stupid, barely literate man with no expertise thinks he knows better than thousands of experts scientists. Not to worry, he has a man whose brain was partially eaten by worms to advise.
September 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Trump just announced that he always knew more about autism than the experts who‘ve studied it. Obviously, a very stupid, barely literate man with no expertise thinks he knows better than thousands of experts scientists. Not to worry, he has a man whose brain was partially eaten by worms to advise.
Crickets from our central administration, despite the overwhelming number of faculty we have on H1B visas. I can think of at least 5 in my own department!
this may be the last nail in the coffin for US academia. generations of scholars from around the world have strived to get jobs at US unis, which has been a boon for US research and for US students. those scholars will not stay here if they cannot travel home to see their families. why would they?
Those on an H1B cannot return to the US from tomorrow (Sunday) unless paying $100K. This is an out-of-the blue presidential action. We’ll see software engineers stranded abroad.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
September 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Crickets from our central administration, despite the overwhelming number of faculty we have on H1B visas. I can think of at least 5 in my own department!