Kai Spiekermann
kspiekermann.bsky.social
Kai Spiekermann
@kspiekermann.bsky.social
Political theorist at London School of Economics-- democratic theory, social epistemology, environmental change. https://www.kaispiekermann.net/
Many congratulations!!
Our very own @brunoleipold.com wins the Deutscher Prize 2025. Amazing news! And we celebrate by walking to Marx's grave with our Msc students. www.deutscherprize.org.uk/wp/
November 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Really excited to see this renewed interest in social norms. Looking forward to it.
Next LSE Political Theory research seminar is with Agnes Tam (Calgary & Frankfurt). The paper is called “The Social Normativity of Social Norms: A Pluralist Account”. All welcome. Thursday 4pm in OLD.4.10. @lsegovernment.bsky.social Please register if LSE-external: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I'll be there to answer questions. Please join us online!
November 7, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
We're holding a Graduate Open Day for all MSc degrees in the @lsegovernment.bsky.social , including political theory @lsepoltheory.bsky.social . Please join us to hear about the programme and ask any questions you might have. www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...
Master's study in the Department of Government at LSE - Virtual Graduate Open Events
Attend our LSE Virtual Graduate Open Events to find out more about graduate study at LSE.
www.lse.ac.uk
November 7, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
Our very own Bruno @brunoleipold.com wins an ERC Synergy Grant! We are thrilled!! Huge boost for political theory @lsegovernment.bsky.social.
November 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
This Thursday, 4pm, in our research seminar: Jeff Spinner-Halev (UNC) on "Liberal Democratic Theory and the Rebuilding of the Administrative State". @lsegovernment.bsky.social www.lse.ac.uk/government/r...
Political Theory Group
The Political Theory Group in the LSE Department of Government - researching political theory and philosophy
www.lse.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
Our next research seminar is with Daniel James (TU Dresden). The title of his paper is “Racism and Racialised Oppression”. Thursday 16 Oct 4pm.
PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE: For this week only, we meet in CKK.1.14. Registration for externals: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj
danieljamesphilosophy.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM
So which famous work in political theory is represented by this figure? (Frequency of select key terms by chapter). This was made with the help of Claude and the repository of Project Gutenberg. Some thoughts below.
October 8, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
From political philosophy to political proposals via the social sciences. A lively debate, launching Tom Parr's new book. With Becky Clark (LSE), David Axelsen (Essex) and @brunoleipold.com .
October 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Two of my doctoral students submitted their thesis in the last two days. Many congratulations! So much hard work, thinking, debating, presenting. All culminating in one short email.
October 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
On Thursday 2 October, we'll be kicking off our 2025-26 LSE poltiical theory seminar with a book launch of Tom Parr's "Empowering Workers in an Age of Automation". The event will be followed by a reception at the George IV pub. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering...
September 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
New seminar schedule for Autumn Term. All welcome!
September 3, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Great essay by Meghan O'Rourke in the NYT about LLMs in academia and beyond. An extract on paper (!).
July 23, 2025 at 10:07 AM
LLMs are such a tricky challenge for Higher Ed. But sometimes they are genuinely useful for admin. I just managed to get Claude to write a timetable analysis tool to eliminate clashes in our MSc degree. It extracts data from a huge spreadsheet and turns it into a readable table. YES!
July 21, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Inspiring PPE Conference at KCL, and first, poignant keynote with Moses Shayo on 'News avoidance in times of war.'
July 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Amazing workshop at the @csh.ac.at, thinking about collective learning, democracy, social media regulation, and LLMs. Thanks to Mirta Galesic and Henrik Olsson -- and the great interdisciplinary set of colleagues gathered in Vienna. No doubt some great work will emerge from this.
July 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
Important insights from Chandran Kukathas:
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...
Opinion | Trump’s Deportation Program Is About Control. Even if You Are a U.S. Citizen.
www.nytimes.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
This week, Eric MacGilvray will give a paper called "What Is It to be a Realist about Democracy?" from his book in progress.
Thursday May 15 16:00 - 18:00. All welcome!
Please note NEW VENUE: OLD.4.10 (OId Building)!
Registration for non-LSE participants: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
May 13, 2025 at 8:45 AM
I am an associate of the NSF collaboration grant "Augmenting Intelligence Through Collective Learning". The PIs were informed last week that the grant is now cancelled because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities". The outline mentions climate change and diversity. And intelligence.
April 25, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
Our PhD student @janwasserziehr.bsky.social is organising an exciting conference on 10th June about AI, consiousness, and morality. Register here: www.eventbrite.de/e/lse-worksh...
April 9, 2025 at 11:14 AM
@jackwilkinson.bsky.social told me about this saying today. It will stay with me for a while.
Russian expression: “It’s a lot easier to turn an aquarium into fish soup than it is to turn fish soup into an aquarium.”
April 9, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Breathtaking Händel operas in Shoreditch Town Hall. 'Tales of Apollo and Hercules'. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...
Tales of Apollo and Hercules review – Handel double bill channels Don Draper and Hollywood musicals
An imaginative melding of a 1710 Handel cantata and a 1751 oratorio results in a nifty two-act opera-ballet – and a dazzling cornucopia of images
www.theguardian.com
March 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
What a great seminar this was! See you all soon again for more political theory @lsepoltheory.bsky.social @lsegovernment.bsky.social
Daniel Weinstock defending a mandate view of representation and being questioned by Anne Phillips and @leaypi.bsky.social
March 28, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
This will now be in LAK.2.06 due to electrical problems with the CKK building.
Our research seminar on Thursday is with Daniel Weinstock: "Compromise and the Ethics of Political Representation". 4pm. We're in CKK.2.06 -- but you need to register if you don't have an LSE ID: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj

PS: Our email distribution is down -- sorry, no email announcements.
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
March 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Kai Spiekermann
Our research seminar on Thursday is with Daniel Weinstock: "Compromise and the Ethics of Political Representation". 4pm. We're in CKK.2.06 -- but you need to register if you don't have an LSE ID: forms.office.com/e/WBSQABK5yj

PS: Our email distribution is down -- sorry, no email announcements.
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
March 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM