Political theory professor, husband, dad, native Detroiter, MSU and Duke alum. I publish on heroism, human rights, and Holocaust education. Posts are from me, not the U.https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mxr72jtg7s22The debate about the use of the death penalty today is, by and large, a rehashing of the same old arguments that proponents and opponents have hurled at one another for decades, but reading them sent me back to my own archive.13 Oct 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxr72jtg7s22https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mwepcqx3cc2sDid you know there’s an election coming up in November? It's true! So, this week, I spent a few minutes writing about voting because I had an interesting conversation with @mattlangdonspeaks.bsky.social about Australia's compulsory voting and it got me thinking. https://arikohen.substack.com/p/rock-the-vote25 Sep 2026 21:22 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwepcqx3cc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mv63emka322mI sat down to write a piece about the importance of voting and why we ought to be trying to find ways for as many citizens to vote as possible, but then my daughter and I went to see Benson Boone in concert and I decided to write about that instead.10 Sep 2026 12:44 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv63emka322mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mug4k57v322bWe’re back to school, with the first week behind us and the second week underway. And that return to campus is something that always leaves me a little breathless, not just because of the shifting of focus to the students, the meetings, and the event planning; it’s also just so *nice* to be back. https://arikohen.substack.com/p/what-a-week01 Sep 2026 00:01 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mug4k57v322bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mtmice5vp22zDon't worry, self-promotion isn’t really the theme of this post. I wanted, instead, to write about what happens when you publish a book that looks like this and includes the words “fascism” and “far-right ideology” in the title.21 Aug 2026 19:23 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmice5vp22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mt2gi6c7jk23It’s been a great few months for people who love movies and who also teach and write about heroic behavior. With multiple summer blockbusters devoted entirely to the superhero—either classical or contemporary—I’ve taken some time to think through how these portrayals line up with the research I do.14 Aug 2026 15:02 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt2gi6c7jk23https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mrxlygbxx226Just a quick note to say that tomorrow is the official publication date for our new book, Fascist Legacies: Far-Right Ideologies Then and Now! Preorders of the book have already been shipped and Amazon's website says that they only have 1 more copy in stock at the moment, with more arriving soon!31 Jul 2026 18:37 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxlygbxx226https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mrv3xjzcnk2mAfter successfully navigating the Scylla of sending off a paper to a journal and the Charybdis of preparing next semester’s syllabus, I managed to find three hours to see Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.30 Jul 2026 18:45 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrv3xjzcnk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mrq5x2raoc2hSince I wrote a book that features a LOT of words about Homer's Odyssey, you had to know I was eventually going to write about Christopher Nolan's Odyssey.28 Jul 2026 19:38 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrq5x2raoc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mrl3vsc6rc2zLast week’s post about Substack’s rollout of an AI checker netted the exact same numbers as every post I write—you readers are remarkably consistent, as are you non-readers—but a whole lot of discussion, especially from people I know personally.26 Jul 2026 19:18 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrl3vsc6rc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mrb5nopfg22yI'm probably the most excited person on the internet right now. Why? Because my preferred writing platform has introduced an AI checking device! So I've authored a little manifesto to explain my near-obsessive hatred of AI.22 Jul 2026 20:22 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrb5nopfg22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mquhgevjzk2hConspiracy theories aren't new, but they’re certainly having a moment. I wrote about what's driving them and what to do about it. Check it out here: https://arikohen.substack.com/p/whos-responsible-for-this17 Jul 2026 19:13 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mquhgevjzk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mpyqjw27ak2mBecause I’m a political science professor, people often ask me if I agree that everything is much, much worse now than it’s been at any point in my (or their) lifetime. In fact, there are a few people who ask me this same question on what feels like a weekly basis.06 Jul 2026 18:41 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpyqjw27ak2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mphrjx7puc2jOne of the strangest things about contemporary politics is that many people who support authoritarian politicians seem at least as unhappy about the state of their country as the people who oppose those politicians, and sometimes they appear even more unhappy than their opponents. What gives? https://arikohen.substack.com/p/the-people-winning-the-political30 Jun 2026 00:44 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mphrjx7puc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mp7azyyfes26NEW BOOK ALERT! I’m very excited to be able to finally show you my newest edited volume, Fascist Legacies: Far Right Ideologies Then and Now. More info on the book and a very special offer here: https://arikohen.substack.com/p/new-book-alert26 Jun 2026 15:27 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp7azyyfes26https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mote554dos2vI think, from now on, any time something doesn’t go well for me I’m going to blame SICK DERANGED VANDALS for whatever happened.21 Jun 2026 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mote554dos2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3monsq65hpk2fIf things have seemed quieter around here, it’s because I’ve been on a family vacation to visit relatives in Virginia. Apart from the usual travel-related shenanigans and general excitement of children thrown off their usual schedules, we were fortunate to do some American history sightseeing. https://arikohen.substack.com/p/america250-a-vacation19 Jun 2026 16:56 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3monsq65hpk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mnxpilfstk22This is awesome! You too can help Sara’s campaign in all sorts of ways. Check out saraforoppd.com to volunteer or donate! [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Jun 2026 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnxpilfstk22https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mnv2l2sklk27There’s an unusual phenomenon that’s taken hold of us as a species over the past two decades, namely spending an inordinate amount of time trying, across time and space, to convince total strangers that your opinion is correct.09 Jun 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnv2l2sklk27https://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mnihh3tusc2fDespite my seemingly constant harping on the problems of social media and the (mis)information environment in which we live, it’s crucial for citizens to have a handle on what’s happening outside their front door.04 Jun 2026 20:25 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnihh3tusc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mmwwuyoqok2hThis week, I wrote about how we can build empathy in our daily lives by reframing the way we react to someone who offends us. Rather than focusing on my own feelings of being insulted, I've been encouraged to try to imagine what the other person must be feeling to have acted this way. https://arikohen.substack.com/p/from-being-offended-to-building-empathy28 May 2026 21:14 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmwwuyoqok2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mmf5q7g3d22oIf you spend any time on social media, you’ll very quickly run into the claims that both sides are terrible and all politicians are the same. The comment is delivered with a sense of confidence and finality: cynical detachment is the only rational response to contemporary American politics.21 May 2026 19:28 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmf5q7g3d22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mlvtol5vd22fIt’s been an exciting and challenging primary season here in Nebraska and now the successful candidates are putting their efforts into a long summer and fall of campaigning ahead of November’s important general election.15 May 2026 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvtol5vd22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3ml4ttxnodc2kIt would be easy to cultivate more readers, to increase traffic, to get more comments and restacks. I know the game because I played it for years when I published my (usually angry) thoughts on a blog that averaged many thousands of daily views and when I was (overly) active on Twitter.05 May 2026 18:45 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4ttxnodc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mknfiar6os2dThere’s a certain clarity that comes from having an enemy. We can pretty easily see its appeal, but we also need to be able to articulate a form of political engagement that can compete with it. https://arikohen.substack.com/p/enemy-based-politics29 Apr 2026 15:18 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mknfiar6os2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mjfgydhhg22zIf the following formulation sounds familiar, it’s probably because you were active on Facebook or Twitter in 2015-2017:13 Apr 2026 17:58 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjfgydhhg22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mifjrcmqbc2t"Fascist Legacies," the new book from me and Gerald Steinacher will be published this summer and it's available for pre-order now from the University of Nebraska Press (tinyurl.com/2x9z32pk). We're very proud of this fourth volume in our ongoing book series, Contemporary Holocaust Studies.01 Apr 2026 01:23 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mifjrcmqbc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3micfxonhm22kLiberal political thought doesn’t demand alienation from our neighbors, but it does recognize that there will be moments when our values require us to hold positions that are deeply unpopular. In today's post, I spend some time thinking about why it matters much more to be right than to be popular: https://arikohen.substack.com/p/the-liberal-virtue-of-unpopularity30 Mar 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3micfxonhm22khttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mhecl5ehyk2eAbout a year and a half ago—maybe a bit longer than that now that I think about it—I deleted all of the social media apps from my phone. Read about why I did it and why I think it matters for liberalism as a political philosophy here: https://arikohen.substack.com/p/turning-off-the-outrage-machine18 Mar 2026 20:16 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhecl5ehyk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/kohenari.bsky.social/post/3mgvs2x6cgs2vI got an email this afternoon from a Jewish organization that referred to “intolerable antisemitic violence” and that phrase has been stuck in my head ever since. It certainly feels intolerable to American Jews. But nothing will change until it’s intolerable to a lot more people.13 Mar 2026 01:44 +0000at://did:plc:kse6ebizihoh73efbbhosppx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgvs2x6cgs2v