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Paul Kelly

@pjthinker.bsky.social
4.7K followers 3.8K following 2.4K posts

Professor of Political Theory Former Head of Department of Government and PVC Education London School of Economics Author Against Post-liberalism: Why Faith, Family and Flag is a Dead End for the Left, Polity Press 2025

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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Another addition to the post-liberal collection. For me it will be a slow read but there is much to be gleaned from reviewing references etc. An interesting and important collection covering PL from a European perspective…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Back after leave First GV100 lecture to bring out the Bow Tie …. @lsegovernment.bsky.social
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Went to see the wonderful Comrades in Art: Artists Against Fascism at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne - preceded by lunch at Lite also at the above. All rather inspiring in these dark times …
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A great new book - much appreciated amongst younger members of the family who follow this saga…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Published this 36 years ago. It was my 1988 PhD - submitted in 1987 (summer my son was born). PhD began in 1984. PhD at University of London LSE and UCL under supervision of Fred Rosen. Followed by Post Doc at University of Chicago Law School. I barely recognise it but am still rather proud of it.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The lanyard class sends greetings
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Another great addition to the Post Liberalism literature - especially as Dyzenhaus’s argument exposes the way in which post-liberal authoritarians impact real judicial politics in UK. Missed the opportunity to note Against Post-Liberalism but I won’t hold that against him this an is important book.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Reading Acemoglu’s book reminded me of the late Brian Barry’s own take on liberalism from a few decades back. Obviously much is different and the focus on AI for workers is vey new but suspect DA would agree with much of Barry’s take on liberalism…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Three great books on the politics, government and the challenges of AI. All very different but all in their own ways eminently sensible analyses and critiques.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Granddaughter’s second birthday breakfast
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
A great if depressing read. Super wealthy but otherwise stupid men pursue completely mad schemes because nobody who gets close to them is prepared to say ‘you are bonkers’ (except for some brave Austrian Catholic theologians who give zero f**ks about Theil’s wealth).
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Bird Jacket - embroidered
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Europeans - one of Anne’s responses to Brexit turmoil
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
At opening of Anne’s exhibition at Almonte OT, near Ottawa. The gallery is lovely …
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Beginning to see the Odyssey crop up everywhere….
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Another one down. Now Chapman …
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
@annekellytextiles.bsky.social piece to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Jodrell Bank from January 2026 - on the day that future of the great radio telescope and the basic science it contributes to is cut. Tragic and foolish…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
This arrived today - nice chapter by me on Nationalism. Might feature in my European Liberalism course… @lsegovernment.bsky.social
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
As my trip has involved a bit of Post Liberalism reading it seemed appropriate to add this. Pretty clear that US and UK political post-liberalism is very different. Will follow up with a discussion of John Gray, Alasdair MacIntyre and John Milbank (and Adrian Pabst)…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Sunrise - Brunswick Maine….
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Paul’s landing near Brunswick Maine
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Tall ships Boston - Saturday 11th. Now in Portland Maine for a few days…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Isabella Stewart Gardner museum Boston
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Isabella Stewart Gardner museum Boston
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Scuffy the tugboat from this morning -
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Arrived NYC this morning
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Ocean is really blue this morning and the air temperature is warm
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Day six at Sea. Last full day as we travel down the New England coast and arrive in NYC early tomorrow morning. Reasonably calm sea and warm air.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Day 5 at sea. Calm and clear after fog at night. Off coast of Newfoundland. Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Day 4 at sea - sera fog but you can make out the horizon. Sea is calmer and air definitely warmer. Crossing the Grand Banks…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Day three at Sea - heavy swell and strong winds this morning but we should be clearing this depression by mid day. Out in the open ocean - it’s magnificent.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Day 2 at sea. In the open ocean - blustery and with a reasonable swell. Wonderful views of open ocean in all directions …
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Grandads office❤️
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Home for next week QM 2 to NYC. A journey made over 100 times over last 40+ years by plane - this time will be different
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Father’s Day card which pretty much sums it all up - cue cranky opinion pieces on @unherd.com and @telegraph.co.uk
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Arriving in Stockholm for Post-Liberalism conference. Reminded again of the huge loss of Brexit - we’ll do e Johnson, Gove, Farage and all those duped into this mess ten years ago.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Looking forward to the Postliberalism and it’s Critics Conference at the Swedish Defence University on the 12-13/ June. A great programme and list of participants @lsegovernment.bsky.social @politybooks.bsky.social
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Latest addition to reading list. Translator Cyril Welch is emeritus at my wife’s old University - Mount Allison in New Brunswick Canada. She did a BFA so probably not much Heidegger! But a nice connection all the same… Clearly this is humanities scholarship as a lifetime labour of love.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Over 20 000 downloads !!! @lsepress.bsky.social @lsegovernment.bsky.social Working on proposal for part 2 companion volume tentatively entitled Order, Justice and the Common Good. Watch this space.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Writing a piece on the Common Good and have gone back to Barry - reminded if I actually needed it, what an extraordinarily good book his Political Argument still is …
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Tankerton Beach - Whitstable.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
One last photo - from train crossing no-man’s land into East Berlin. Those were the days…
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Then jumped on train to Warsaw, Krakow and Prague for honeymoon adventure. Heading towards Chernobyl cloud! We brought a pack supper for train but couldn’t get anything to drink so drank our duty free bottle of Glenffidich and used it to brush our teeth as well!
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Married 40 years ago today (3/5/86) - every moment treasured.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Anne’s two pieces (either side) inspired by / in celebration of Atar’s Canticle of the Birds as the Aga Khan gallery in London.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
This should cheer me up no end …. @politybooks.bsky.social
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Victoria Embankment Gardens
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Fourth edition of Li Qiang’s (Peking University / Beira) Chinese study with a new extended preface (60 pages) covering the debates from 1998 to the present. He and I have been debating liberalism together for four decades - we don’t agree but have a genuinely interesting conversation.
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
LSE Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy lecture Tuesday 7th @lsegovernment.bsky.social
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Paul Kelly @pjthinker.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Magnolia in bloom -
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