Programmable Mutter

Large Language Models As The Tales That Are Sung

Gene Wolfe, Albert Lord, machine culture.

Dec 1 • 

Henry Farrell

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November 2025

Liberalism transforms plurality from weakness to strength

At least it does when it works right ...

Nov 3 • 

Henry Farrell

95

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October 2025

What is civil society, and why should we care?

Ernest Gellner on the conditions of liberty.

Oct 27 • 

Henry Farrell

99

18

27

China has copied America's grab for semiconductor power

Six theses about the consequences

Oct 16 • 

Henry Farrell

114

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23

What the left can learn from evangelical churches

The lessons of Hahrie Han's Undivided

Oct 13 • 

Henry Farrell

72

20

14

Trump's University Compact demonstrates weakness, not strength

The administration would act differently if it were confident

Oct 8 • 

Henry Farrell

65

10

16

September 2025

The Village and the Sewer

Behind the "Blueskyism" debate

Sep 24 • 

Henry Farrell

108

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The Aaron Swartz production function

Incalculable diffusion as a philosophy of doing

Sep 22 • 

Henry Farrell

130

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13

Repost: Absolute power can be a terrible weakness

The respective vulnerabilities of tyrants and crowds

Sep 18 • 

Henry Farrell

146

23

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Understanding AI as a social technology

Speed, shoggoths, social science

Sep 12 • 

Henry Farrell

137

26

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Silicon Valley’s Reading List Reveals Its Political Ambitions

An article from Bloomberg Weekend

Sep 11 • 

Henry Farrell

66

18

11

Process knowledge is crucial to economic development

The message of Dan Wang's new book.

Sep 2 • 

Henry Farrell

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