Ted Lechterman
banner
tlechtable.bsky.social
Ted Lechterman
@tlechtable.bsky.social
Political philosopher. Holder of the UNESCO Chair in AI Ethics & Governance at IE University. Opinions my own.
1/ The ECPR Political Theory Standing Group is now seeking submissions for the 2025-2026 ECPR Political Theory Online Seminar. We’ll feature six political theorists (members of the ECPR Standing Group or guests) to deliver a talk via Zoom, open to all with a (free) ECPR account.
June 2, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Can you review ~4 submissions for AIES? The AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society has received over 900 submissions this year – rivaling the number of some general AI research conferences. 🧵
May 23, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I'm excited to return to Princeton University today to celebrate the retirement of my doctoral supervisor, Chuck Beitz.

Chuck's soft-spoken presence and methodical scholarship offered a refreshing counterpoint to the bombastic self-promotion and citation-chasing so prevalent in academia today.
May 1, 2025 at 8:38 AM
My great-uncle Max Kozloff, noted photographer and art critic, died last week. Max was a key role model in my small family. His example showed me the value and possibility of living the examined life unapologetically and joyfully. I will miss him. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/a...
Max Kozloff, Art Critic Who Became an Artist Himself, Dies at 91 (Gift Article)
He wrote extensively about the New York art scene in the 1960s and ’70s, then shifted to become a prominent street photographer.
www.nytimes.com
April 15, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Join the next meeting of the ECPR Political Theory Online Seminar on 9 April at 17:00 to 18:00 CET, featuring Katie Ebner-Landy (Harvard University / Utrecht University) on "Socialism as Fictional Experimentalism."
Standing Group on Political Theory Seminar Series
European Consortium for Political Research
ecpr.eu
April 7, 2025 at 7:51 AM
📣 Thrilled to announce that IE University will host the next AIES conference in Madrid on October 20-22, 2025. The AAAI/ACM Conference on #AI, Ethics, and Society (#AIES) is the premier multidisciplinary research exchange on ethical, social, legal, and governance aspects of #artificialintelligence.
March 25, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Is the right to #protest under threat? Next ECPR Political Theory Seminar: 12 March, 17:00-18:00 CET with Nottingham's Koshka Duff and Matthew Hall - @uniofnottingham.bsky.social. Paper: "'Get in the protest pen': The limits of the right to protest and the production of the docile protester."
March 5, 2025 at 1:38 PM
📣 Join us for ECPR Standing Group on Political Theory's second online seminar of 2025!

📅 February 12, 17:00-18:00 CET

📝 Title: "On the Delegitimizing Force of Democracy's Epistemic Dysfunctions: An Institutional Integrity Account"

🎤 Speaker: Michele Giavazzi (LMU München)

#ECPRSeminars
February 11, 2025 at 11:33 AM
The math is clear: private #philanthropy cannot bridge the gap between low wages and decent living standards. In an analysis published today in NYT, NYU’s Hans Taparia and Bruce Buchanan demonstrate why relying on charitable giving to compensate for wage shortfalls is mathematically impossible.
February 4, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Excited to share my latest piece for The Conversation: “Could AI replace politicians? A philosopher maps out three possible futures”
theconversation.com/could-ai-rep...
Could AI replace politicians? A philosopher maps out three possible futures
From impartial debate mediators to a full-blown ‘algocracy’, we have to think carefully about how AI will impact politics.
theconversation.com
January 16, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Reminder that the online ECPR Political Theory Seminar with Andrei Bespalov takes place tomorrow (11 December) at 17:00 CET. Details below!
I'm co-chairing this year’s ECPR Political Theory Seminar with Antoinette Scherz. On
📅 11 Dec, 17:00 CET
🎙️ Andrei Bespalov (UPF & BIAP) will present "Reasonable Disobedience."
💡 When is political disobedience justified? Can it mesh with Rawls's duty of civility?
🔗 Register: ecpr.eu/Events/Event...
December 10, 2024 at 2:47 PM
I'm co-chairing this year’s ECPR Political Theory Seminar with Antoinette Scherz. On
📅 11 Dec, 17:00 CET
🎙️ Andrei Bespalov (UPF & BIAP) will present "Reasonable Disobedience."
💡 When is political disobedience justified? Can it mesh with Rawls's duty of civility?
🔗 Register: ecpr.eu/Events/Event...
December 5, 2024 at 7:06 PM
#GivingTuesday is the perfect time to reflect on what it means to give well. Should giving prioritize outcomes or intentions? Should it fill gaps, challenge injustice, or enrich culture?
December 2, 2024 at 10:52 PM
📣 Big news: I’ve signed a contract with
Polity Press for a monograph, tentatively titled Recoding Democracy: AI and the Fight for Democracy’s Future.

📖 The #book will argue that #AI forces us to reassess what makes democracy valuable and how that value should be realized. 1/
November 14, 2024 at 3:23 PM
Happy to share that my entry with Emma Saunders-Hastings & @robreich.bsky.social on “philanthropy” is now published in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. plato.stanford.edu/entries/phil... We cover historical and contemporary debates on #philanthropy in #ethics & political #philosophy.
Philanthropy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
plato.stanford.edu
November 13, 2024 at 3:32 AM
Happy to share I’ve been awarded a UNESCO Chair in AI Ethics & Governance at IE University’s School of Humanities. We’ll be advancing the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI through research, education, outreach, and North-South collaboration. Stay tuned for updates on many cool projects!
March 19, 2024 at 1:00 AM
Will #ai save #democracy — or destroy it? Really excited to debate Daniel Innerarity on this at CaixaForum Macaya on Jan. 30 18:30 CET. English livestream available with prior registration: caixaforum.org/es/macaya/p/-l… Daniel will take a skeptical view; I’ll make some bold claims. Join us!
CaixaForum Macaya en Barcelona - CaixaForum Macaya
Charlas, conferencias y debates en CaixaForum Macaya, el centro de divulgación en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales y las humanidades de Barcelona.
https://caixaforum.org/es/macaya/p/-l…
January 26, 2024 at 12:41 AM
Philosophers! We’re expanding the faculty at IE School of Humanities in Madrid/Segovia & recruiting an epistemologist (incl. philosophers of science), a philosopher of mind, or a bioethicist focused on future tech for a TT role. Please share!

apply.interfolio.com/137106
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
November 30, 2023 at 9:53 AM
Is corporate social responsibility democratically irresponsible? I'm very excited to be speaking at the Instituto de Éticas Aplicadas UC next week on the democratic challenges of #csr. Thanks to the EU Failure Project, CBA Madrid, and many kind people for making this possible. Details: t.ly/r4p-x
November 2, 2023 at 10:22 PM