Simon Gansinger
@simgans.bsky.social
Philosophy | Law | Politics
Postdoc at MPI-CSL Freiburg
Postdoc at MPI-CSL Freiburg
Power phrases to impress your colleagues at the next post-work aperitivo
August 8, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Power phrases to impress your colleagues at the next post-work aperitivo
Within ten years, England lost close to 75% of people identifying as "English-only" and almost tripled the percentage of "British-only" – simply because the census changed the order of these options. Sounds sus. Why wouldn't the numbers track (though potentially exaggerate) a real shift?
April 20, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Within ten years, England lost close to 75% of people identifying as "English-only" and almost tripled the percentage of "British-only" – simply because the census changed the order of these options. Sounds sus. Why wouldn't the numbers track (though potentially exaggerate) a real shift?
From the interstices between workweek and weekend:
"Thought arose in the course of the liberation from terrible nature (...). Pleasure is nature's revenge. In pleasure, human beings divest themselves from thought, escape from civilisation."
(Adorno/Horkheimer, DoE, Stanford 2008, p. 82)
"Thought arose in the course of the liberation from terrible nature (...). Pleasure is nature's revenge. In pleasure, human beings divest themselves from thought, escape from civilisation."
(Adorno/Horkheimer, DoE, Stanford 2008, p. 82)
April 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM
From the interstices between workweek and weekend:
"Thought arose in the course of the liberation from terrible nature (...). Pleasure is nature's revenge. In pleasure, human beings divest themselves from thought, escape from civilisation."
(Adorno/Horkheimer, DoE, Stanford 2008, p. 82)
"Thought arose in the course of the liberation from terrible nature (...). Pleasure is nature's revenge. In pleasure, human beings divest themselves from thought, escape from civilisation."
(Adorno/Horkheimer, DoE, Stanford 2008, p. 82)
Just a local newspaper using "on every corner" on every corner.
"Ganter Beer is on every corner in Freiburg. And that's exactly what the brewery celebrates, with the slogan 'Drink local on every corner' for a campaign that celebrates local Ganter on every corner."
"Ganter Beer is on every corner in Freiburg. And that's exactly what the brewery celebrates, with the slogan 'Drink local on every corner' for a campaign that celebrates local Ganter on every corner."
April 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Just a local newspaper using "on every corner" on every corner.
"Ganter Beer is on every corner in Freiburg. And that's exactly what the brewery celebrates, with the slogan 'Drink local on every corner' for a campaign that celebrates local Ganter on every corner."
"Ganter Beer is on every corner in Freiburg. And that's exactly what the brewery celebrates, with the slogan 'Drink local on every corner' for a campaign that celebrates local Ganter on every corner."
On 1 April, the White House celebrated the beginning of the "Financial Literacy Month". Is this all just the punch line of a very elaborate practical joke?
April 7, 2025 at 3:26 PM
On 1 April, the White House celebrated the beginning of the "Financial Literacy Month". Is this all just the punch line of a very elaborate practical joke?
Cheered myself up by looking at recent polling for the Hungarian election next year.
February 25, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Cheered myself up by looking at recent polling for the Hungarian election next year.
Among those who did not cast a ballot in Germany's previous federal election, close to a majority voted for the hard-right:
48% AfD
24% CDU
11% BSW
8% Left
7% SPD
3% Greens
Liberal democracy depends on passive disillusionment.
48% AfD
24% CDU
11% BSW
8% Left
7% SPD
3% Greens
Liberal democracy depends on passive disillusionment.
February 24, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Among those who did not cast a ballot in Germany's previous federal election, close to a majority voted for the hard-right:
48% AfD
24% CDU
11% BSW
8% Left
7% SPD
3% Greens
Liberal democracy depends on passive disillusionment.
48% AfD
24% CDU
11% BSW
8% Left
7% SPD
3% Greens
Liberal democracy depends on passive disillusionment.
#1 Positive Affirmations.
"Zuversicht" means confidence or optimism. Which is what you need in copious amounts when you're running for chancellor while polling below 15%.
"Zuversicht" means confidence or optimism. Which is what you need in copious amounts when you're running for chancellor while polling below 15%.
February 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
#1 Positive Affirmations.
"Zuversicht" means confidence or optimism. Which is what you need in copious amounts when you're running for chancellor while polling below 15%.
"Zuversicht" means confidence or optimism. Which is what you need in copious amounts when you're running for chancellor while polling below 15%.
#2 A Man Lost in the Woods.
"Last seen on 6 November 2024. If you have any information, please contact the FDP."
"Last seen on 6 November 2024. If you have any information, please contact the FDP."
February 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
#2 A Man Lost in the Woods.
"Last seen on 6 November 2024. If you have any information, please contact the FDP."
"Last seen on 6 November 2024. If you have any information, please contact the FDP."
#3 Just a Face.
This is literally just a face.
This is literally just a face.
February 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
#3 Just a Face.
This is literally just a face.
This is literally just a face.
#4 "Become part of the rebellion."
It's easy: vote, like, and wait for the means of production to be transferred into public ownership. (An even more asinine MLPD poster reads: "Make Socialism Great Again")
It's easy: vote, like, and wait for the means of production to be transferred into public ownership. (An even more asinine MLPD poster reads: "Make Socialism Great Again")
February 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
#4 "Become part of the rebellion."
It's easy: vote, like, and wait for the means of production to be transferred into public ownership. (An even more asinine MLPD poster reads: "Make Socialism Great Again")
It's easy: vote, like, and wait for the means of production to be transferred into public ownership. (An even more asinine MLPD poster reads: "Make Socialism Great Again")
#5 A Man Holding a QR Code.
Nothing screams modernity like a square-shaped barcode. I imagine a room full of campaign managers in their 50s breaking into song when they come up with the idea to make young voters pull out their phones to understand what's going on here.
Nothing screams modernity like a square-shaped barcode. I imagine a room full of campaign managers in their 50s breaking into song when they come up with the idea to make young voters pull out their phones to understand what's going on here.
February 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
#5 A Man Holding a QR Code.
Nothing screams modernity like a square-shaped barcode. I imagine a room full of campaign managers in their 50s breaking into song when they come up with the idea to make young voters pull out their phones to understand what's going on here.
Nothing screams modernity like a square-shaped barcode. I imagine a room full of campaign managers in their 50s breaking into song when they come up with the idea to make young voters pull out their phones to understand what's going on here.
I was hoping we could wait a little longer before revisiting Carl Schmitt's "Legality and Legitimacy"
February 10, 2025 at 8:46 PM
I was hoping we could wait a little longer before revisiting Carl Schmitt's "Legality and Legitimacy"
Do hills in Freiburg just... vanish?
"Loretto Street – named after the former Loretto Hill, once the 'Slier Hill'"
"Loretto Street – named after the former Loretto Hill, once the 'Slier Hill'"
February 5, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Do hills in Freiburg just... vanish?
"Loretto Street – named after the former Loretto Hill, once the 'Slier Hill'"
"Loretto Street – named after the former Loretto Hill, once the 'Slier Hill'"
My hunch is that the point of all these executive actions that are legally "unclear", "illegal", or "really, really illegal" is to dilute the importance of legality altogether. Not to push the boundaries of the law but to make the question "Was this done according to the law?" sound silly
February 3, 2025 at 8:28 PM
My hunch is that the point of all these executive actions that are legally "unclear", "illegal", or "really, really illegal" is to dilute the importance of legality altogether. Not to push the boundaries of the law but to make the question "Was this done according to the law?" sound silly
"Performance and skill are sometimes an incentive for a racket to admit the outsider ... The Volsci readily welcomed the fugitive Coriolanus, whose affinity to power shone brightly. He was a man of the gentile rackets and had the qualities of a general, which makes someone invariably recommendable."
January 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
"Performance and skill are sometimes an incentive for a racket to admit the outsider ... The Volsci readily welcomed the fugitive Coriolanus, whose affinity to power shone brightly. He was a man of the gentile rackets and had the qualities of a general, which makes someone invariably recommendable."
1/ For unfortunate reasons, I'm sitting in an IKEA cafeteria, doing some work to distract myself from the aroma of Köttbullar and existential angst. An employee approaches me and asks what I'm reading. I respond that it's a book by Hegel, a 19th cent philosopher interested in the idea of freedom.
January 13, 2025 at 3:45 PM
1/ For unfortunate reasons, I'm sitting in an IKEA cafeteria, doing some work to distract myself from the aroma of Köttbullar and existential angst. An employee approaches me and asks what I'm reading. I respond that it's a book by Hegel, a 19th cent philosopher interested in the idea of freedom.
😎: watching the chess World Rapid Championship in your favourite denim
😎😎: playing in the WRC in your fav denim
😎😎😎: being disqualified from the WRC bec you insist on wearing your fav denim
😎😎😎😎: commenting at the WRC "I recall facing Rh3 in 1948", years before James Dean popularised denim jeans
😎😎: playing in the WRC in your fav denim
😎😎😎: being disqualified from the WRC bec you insist on wearing your fav denim
😎😎😎😎: commenting at the WRC "I recall facing Rh3 in 1948", years before James Dean popularised denim jeans
December 28, 2024 at 11:16 AM
😎: watching the chess World Rapid Championship in your favourite denim
😎😎: playing in the WRC in your fav denim
😎😎😎: being disqualified from the WRC bec you insist on wearing your fav denim
😎😎😎😎: commenting at the WRC "I recall facing Rh3 in 1948", years before James Dean popularised denim jeans
😎😎: playing in the WRC in your fav denim
😎😎😎: being disqualified from the WRC bec you insist on wearing your fav denim
😎😎😎😎: commenting at the WRC "I recall facing Rh3 in 1948", years before James Dean popularised denim jeans
Talk about being old-fashioned: apparently my thesis abstract is as readable as the average summary was around 1980 (at a Flesch reading-ease score of 30.6).
econ.st/3ZJVx8y
econ.st/3ZJVx8y
December 23, 2024 at 2:57 PM
Talk about being old-fashioned: apparently my thesis abstract is as readable as the average summary was around 1980 (at a Flesch reading-ease score of 30.6).
econ.st/3ZJVx8y
econ.st/3ZJVx8y
I suppose the way to put a positive spin on this is to credit Musk with making explicit what's largely been concealed from the public: that many legislators are beholden to the monied interests that define their political career and identity. You don't bite the hand that fills your campaign coffers.
December 21, 2024 at 5:31 PM
I suppose the way to put a positive spin on this is to credit Musk with making explicit what's largely been concealed from the public: that many legislators are beholden to the monied interests that define their political career and identity. You don't bite the hand that fills your campaign coffers.
On the pragmatics of false binaries
December 12, 2024 at 6:29 AM
On the pragmatics of false binaries
Visual footnote to the pragmatics of analytic truths in late-stage capitalism
December 11, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Visual footnote to the pragmatics of analytic truths in late-stage capitalism
Just landed in HK after a terrific workshop at the University of Glasgow, co-organised by @phirsch.bsky.social (also featuring @mortenboe.bsky.social & @johwei.bsky.social). Great opportunity to test the patience of criminal law theorists with a paper on Hegel's justification of punishment 😇
December 10, 2024 at 4:52 AM
Just landed in HK after a terrific workshop at the University of Glasgow, co-organised by @phirsch.bsky.social (also featuring @mortenboe.bsky.social & @johwei.bsky.social). Great opportunity to test the patience of criminal law theorists with a paper on Hegel's justification of punishment 😇
Economist: the rise of the minimum wage is bad because class distinctions are good.
Or am I missing sth?
www.economist.com/britain/2024...
Or am I missing sth?
www.economist.com/britain/2024...
November 18, 2024 at 10:42 AM
Economist: the rise of the minimum wage is bad because class distinctions are good.
Or am I missing sth?
www.economist.com/britain/2024...
Or am I missing sth?
www.economist.com/britain/2024...
Trump's pick for head of Cookie Protection Agency confirmed
November 14, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Trump's pick for head of Cookie Protection Agency confirmed