Luke S. Hennessy

Earlier this week, the Clerk hosted the Speaker of the Parliament of Vanuatu and a distinguished delegation. This visit marks a special milestone in our 15-year twinning relationship, celebrating a bond of friendship and cooperation between our Parliaments. 🤝🌏

A privilege to attend yesterday’s launch of ‘Political Lives,’ which explores the complex relationship between PMs, their biographies & biographers. Raving review from Treasurer, @JEChalmers. Thanks to wonderful hosts, @UniCanberra & @paddynixon. And well done @c_s_wallace! ⭐️

@ClaraSandelind @jtlevy Has Richard Rorty gone out of fashion? Wasn’t half his (later) work on this subject? 🤷‍♂️

And the last panel! #AusPSA2021 Political theory, not an easy topic, it was great to hear @Macquarie_Uni own Ian Tregenza and Steve Wood, @EdmundHandby interesting intuition approach, and @LSHennessy love the idea of a practical way of teaching politics👏🏽 @PoliticsandIRMQ @AusPSA

@DrBeeZee @ANUBellSchool @ANUmedia That background... Are you perched on top of Mount Ainslie? 🤔😅 In all seriousness, morning shows are about as impactful as it gets (just ask @MrKRudd). And sensible thoughts in times where any divergence at all from the dominant narrative takes courage. Much respect, @DrBeeZee.

On the box this morn talking about how Australia & New Zealand are navigating the new great power politics in Asia. #auspol @ANUBellSchool @ANUmedia

@c_s_wallace @SydWritersFest @barriecassidy @vanOnselenP @10NewsFirst @australian @newsouthpub @mordantgrist @soofiatariq You're an endless source of inspiration, CW ✊

Super good #auspol discussion @SydWritersFest today. Fab to catch up with awesome colleagues from the old #CanberraPressGallery days @barriecassidy & #NikiSavva along with @vanOnselenP @10NewsFirst @australian. (Also to meet fab @newsouthpub’s @mordantgrist!) Pic: @soofiatariq 1/

@SeanMolloyIR Richard Rorty in 1999 on the “Nietzscheanized left”: “I’m willing to bet that the brightest new Ph.D.’s in English that year [2010] will be people who never want to hear the terms ‘binary opposition’ or ‘hegemonic discourse’ again as long as they live.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a thinker more rapidly erased as Derrida. From being omnipresent to a fading echo in about 20 years. It would make an interesting PhD to discover the how and why of this erasure.

@bwmoles Ahhh, the ethical complexities when contingencies are added! And, VERY strange to think about the Sliding Doors scenario... The (potential) world-altering powers of pushing a pedestrian button 🤯

@LSHennessy Though perhaps not up there ranking with a true 'Sliding Doors moment' they might all have been on their way to jobs they hate, so you might have been doing them a favour.

@agtgibson I think that’s actually spot on. Thanks again, Andrew!

A question for philosophers and #twitterstorians alike. When a political historian writes a book reflecting on their craft (👇), what kind of discipline or genre would you say they are engaged in? It’s not quite history as such, but nor is it necessarily ‘philosophy’ or ‘theory.’

@DrIanHall I think you may be spot on there, @DrIanHall

Say Elton says: —politics comprises actions & contexts of action; —take care to distinguish words of politicians from deeds/motives; —be aware of the powers/limitations of politicians. What kind of ‘knowledge’ is this? Because it’s similar to what some ‘political theorists’ do.

@SoniaMRobaey Except when historiographies clash, right? And Elton’s book, and others like it, seem very much to support a certain way of doing history, and thinking historically. 🤷‍♂️

@LSHennessy It is definitely historiography. It is different from the philosophy of history because, unlike philosophy, it is not done in a prescriptive way.

@agtgibson Trying to pin it all down is a headache. So for now I’m just describing them as offering similar “intellectual techniques,” designed to “prime” readers to think about and evaluate politics in a certain way, to prioritise certain questions, concerns, and skill sets, etc. 🤷‍♂️

@agtgibson One thing I find endlessly fascinating is the similarity between anti-systematic political theorists/philosophers like Raymond Geuss and Bernard Williams in the way they prime readers to think about politics, and political historians like Elton when they reflect on their craft.

@Rory_Medcalf @ConstantinoX A couple of steps going down, actually.

@Rory_Medcalf @ConstantinoX Well spotted @Rory_Medcalf, but take a look, about half way through, and also toward the very end, when a scooter rides past, followed by a car. There’s a largish drop-off behind the red bricks, which I think explains why the shadow stops there.

The coup will be televised.

@nlagovau Ha! Why thank you, anonymous NLA person 😅

@LSHennessy Almost as stunning as you Luke. Thanks for sharing! 📷

Quite extraordinary sky above the National Library of Australia. #Canberra