Robin McKenna
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rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Robin McKenna
@rbnmckenna.bsky.social
1.1K followers 680 following 500 posts
Scottish philosopher at the University of Liverpool. Likes to do philosophy by reading about things that are more interesting than philosophy. Some sort of social epistemologist.

https://robinmckenna.weebly.com/
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rbnmckenna.bsky.social
constantly
Academic spam from a "publication coach" at "Editage" with the subject line: "worried about standing out this conference season?"
September 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Here is the advert for a postdoc at Liverpool for a project I'm involved in. Please share it with anyone who you think might be interested in applying. A brief project description is below.

tinyurl.com/4f7vw7ra
Postdoctoral Researcher in Philosophy Grade 7 Philosophy 095373 £39,355 - £45,413 pa 10-Jul-2025 23:30 The successful candidate will work as a Postdoctoral Research Associate on the AHRC & FNR funded project `The Role of Cognitive Experience in Decision and Action¿ under the supervision of Dr Laura Gow (PI) and Dr Robin McKenna (Co-I). The project aims to deliver a new explanation of belief-discordant behaviour - situations where we fail to act in accordance with what we believe. Our hypothesis is that cognitive experience plays a vital role in our everyday actions and decisions. We propose that our beliefs need to `seem true¿ to us if they are to play a role in our everyday behaviour. Having a belief seem true involves cognitive phenomenology; experientially taking a belief to be true when we first acquire it and if we later entertain it in thought. (For example, whereas the belief that grass is green seems true, the belief that solid objects are mostly empty space does not.). The post is available from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2028. If you are still awaiting your PhD to be awarded you will be appointed at Grade 6, spine point 30. Upon written confirmation that you have been awarded your PhD, your salary will be increased to Grade 7, spine point 31. If you require a visa to work in the UK, the University of Liverpool may be able to support your application for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route. Or there maybe the option to support your application under the Global Talent Visa, Depending on your circumstances you may find you can apply for one independently without University support.
June 20, 2025 at 6:51 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
New paper arguing that sometimes rational persuasion is a bad thing. It's available open access here:

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Abstract: What is persuasion and how does it differ from coercion, indoctrination, and manipulation? Which persuasive strategies are effective, and which contexts are they effective in? The aim of persuasion is attitude change, but when does a persuasive strategy yield a rational change of attitude? When is it permissible to engage in rational persuasion? In this paper, I address these questions, both in general and with reference to particular examples. The overall aims are (i) to sketch an integrated picture of the psychology, epistemology, and ethics of persuasion and (ii) to argue that there is often a tension between the aim we typically have as would-be persuaders, which is bringing about a rational change of mind, and the ethical constraints which partly distinguish persuasion from coercion, indoctrination, and manipulation.
June 19, 2025 at 7:55 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Yes: ChatGPT can write the outputs and then evaluate them, saving us all the work.
THE: Headline is "Could generative AI improve the REF?"
June 5, 2025 at 8:49 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Spent the day hiking in wales and barely saw anyone. Wonderful.
Mountain scenery. I *think* this is Snowdon but I'm not 100% sure.
April 29, 2025 at 9:51 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
I was completely misremembering: it was voting intention, and even then I was wrong. But if I were a tory strategist I would still be very concerned about that age profile.
Graph showing voting intention for major UK parties by education level and age. Basically: people who intend to vote tory are old.
April 25, 2025 at 2:31 PM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
hot new paper just dropped
Advert for Adderall on philpapers
January 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
running in the snow in Aberdeenshire
Snowy path with the sun rising in the background Snowy field Snowy path with tracks in the snow
January 3, 2025 at 10:55 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Beautiful Christmas Day run
Path in east neuk, fife View out onto the firth of forth Another view out onto the firth of forth
December 25, 2024 at 9:26 PM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
beats running in Liverpool
Beach in fife between lower largo and Leven at sunrise Leven beach
December 22, 2024 at 7:38 PM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
the beach is the best place to end the year. Cold though
Beach In fife. Sun is setting as the waves roll in.
December 20, 2024 at 3:08 PM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Thanks Wiley I hadn't considered that publishing in PPR would help my career.
Silly email from Wiley suggesting it might be good for my career to publish in PPR
November 27, 2024 at 10:37 AM
rbnmckenna.bsky.social
Ok so you definitely can't cite it but I found this on Quora
Ken” in Scots has widened its meaning to become the equivalent of English “know” but in older Scots it specifically meant “know by personal contact, experience, familiarity” as in “I ken him. Ye ken your wey hame” etc. The word for more general knowledge, as in “I know that” (fact) was “wat” (many regional variants; wiyt, wot, wit, wate etc) An exact parallel with German “kennen/wissen” Norwegian “kjenne/vite” “Wite” is still heard in some Scots dialects, but is no longer widely understood.
November 14, 2024 at 12:32 PM