Martin Jacobson🔸

I am a postdoc at @UU_PoliSci researching Georgist political theory.

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Do you want to connect with other Georgists? 🔰 Apply to the 2026 Geoist Network Conference! Applications are open until June 17. For more information and an application form, follow this link: https://t.co/jvSLoHGPb2

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

I was recently interviewed by Non Serviam Media! I'm a long-time fan of the podcast and feel very honored to be invited to the show. We chatted about geoism, anarchism, effective altruism, animal welfare, Star Trek, and a bunch of other great stuff!
https://t.co/AQzA8FkPBp

[Giving What We Can 🔸 @givingwhatwecan]

10,000 people across the globe have now taken the 🔸10% Pledge 🚀

> $300M already donated
> $1B lifetime committed
10,000 people from 116 countries 🌐

This is a movement of action and optimism, funding work to solve the world’s most pressing problems 🔥

https://t.co/TEwmZcwOKi

[Department of Government, Uppsala University @UU_PoliSci]

We just found out that SWEPSA has named Martin Jacobson’s PhD thesis the best thesis in Sweden! Congratulations!

Martin Jacobson "Land & Liberty: On the Natural Monopoly of Violence" - access it here: https://t.co/3AL9D5zRNd...
Time to join BlueSky? @MarWJac

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

@yoav_ravid @larsiusprime I thoight so! Great work Lars! :-)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Over the last few months I have met a lot more people interested in EA. It is striking to me how many of them are prevously familiar with Georgism. Way more often than economists or political theorists. And the vast majority are also very positive to it. 🔸️+ 🔰 = ❤️

[Yoav Ravid @yoav_ravid]

One year ago today I began writing my book -
Mechanisms of Liberty: The Shortcomings of Modern Liberalism and How to Fix It

It deals with ideas I've been interested in for at least six years already. A year ago, someone challenged me about Liberalism. I wrote him a message with the perspective on Liberalism I developed over these years, and came to the conclusion that I should expand it into an essay, because I don't know anyone who says the same things I do.
So I began working on the essay, and after about a month of work, I realized what I was working on was much more than just an "essay" - it needed to be a book.

This is the first time I'm writing about it in detail on twitter. Here's a longer description of it:
---
Western civilization is founded on the idea that due to our inherently limited capacities, we lack the right to coerce others and therefore have a right to equal Liberty, from which springs our tradition of Human Rights, Democracy, Free Discourse, and Free Markets.

This idea is called Liberalism, and Liberalism is in peril.

It is currently being attacked on all fronts. More and more people are blaming the problems humanity is facing and our inability to solve them on a fundamental failing of Liberalism, while pushing for illiberal alternatives.

Meanwhile, even the defenders of Liberalism don't seem to truly understand it, and fail to give satisfying answers to criticism.

This book takes the shortcomings of modern Liberalism seriously, but argues that the fundamental principles of Liberalism are correct. That correct implementation of them resulted in progress and prosperity. And their failures were because of misunderstanding and misimplementation.

To solve our most dire problems and create widespread liberty and prosperity, this book offers a comprehensive new vision of Liberalism, spanning over 20 subjects where its principles are misimplemented in a way that endangers both it and us, and suggests solutions that accord with its principles.
---

It's not easy for me to shed the self-doubt and say this, but - I believe this book is extremely important. It's not nearly finished yet - I wrote 15,000 words - but it's at the top of my priorities, and I work on it every day (most of the work is research, not writing).

If it sounds interesting to you, I invite you to follow my account (I don't yet have the confidence to ask for financial support 😅). I'll surely write here a lot about these subjects, and of course post updates on the book's progress.

Meanwhile, I'd be grateful if you share this post :)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

I just signed this petition encouraging the EU to promote plant-based food production and to shut down factory farming. I strongly encourage all other EU citizens to also sign it! https://t.co/1WXgADH9z5

[Elin Bjarnegård @elinbja]

Apply to the PhD program in political science @UU_PoliSci @UU_University https://t.co/pU1gtMKnAF

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

For this reason, I have decided to add my name to the list of almost 10,000 people who have signed the 🔸 10% Pledge, and to explain my reasons for doing so in this essay. Thereby, I hope to also inspire others to do the same. (🧵 8/8) https://t.co/ER82lu1wrc

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

But to shift norms it we must be open about these actions. Social norms depend not on what other people actually do, but what we think that other people do. So even if a most people secretly practiced effective charity, this would not have any effect on social norms. (🧵 7/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

This insight also leads to a very natural next step: we can change what is normal. Just as we are influenced by our peers, our peers are influenced by us. When it comes to informal rules in use, we are not only rule followers but also rule makers. (🧵 6/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

The most important reason is that people are deeply influenced by social norms and behavior they see around them. Most people’s behavior is determined not primarily by what they see as moral, but by what they see as normal among their peers. (🧵 5/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

However, while most people agree that donating to charity is something admirable, it is often seen as less admirable to clearly communicate that one is doing so. Such boastful “virtue-signaling” is usually scorned. So why make a public giving pledge? (🧵 4/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Today, I signed @givingwhatwecan's🔸10% Pledge. This means publicly pledging to donate 10% of my lifetime income to effective philanthropy. In this essay I explain some of the reasons for giving, and especially doing so openly and publicly! (🧵 1/8)
https://t.co/ER82lu1wrc

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Moreover, giving is often good for you! Knowing that you have a positive impact on the world is an important sense of meaning. And research shows that you often become happier by spending resources on others than yourself. (🧵 3/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

The most obvious reason for donating is that it can do a lot of good, if done carefully. Since there is a large spread in the effectiveness of charities, carefully choosing an effective charity can multiply the impact of your donation by 100x or more! (🧵 2/8)

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

I was recently invited to @BarendGeolib's podcast "Exploring Liberty With Barend" to discuss liberty, and different ways to understand "left-libertarianism". I really enjoyed the conversation and I highly recommend Barend's podcast to anyone interested in these topics!

[barendg @BarendGeolib]

Last week I had the honour of interviewing Swedish political theorist Martin Jacobson. He explained his view on freedom in a 56-minute episode. https://t.co/ZflC6oH4wX

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Overall, I am happy with the experience and intend to keep practicing and learning. "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few".

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Over the last year I have experimented by daily practicing 20 minutes of zazen meditation, regularly attending a local Zen center for longer sittings. Here are some reflections one year in.

[Martin Jacobson🔸 @MarWJac]

Of course there is some cost to this. Many other things practiced daily, like reading literature or exercise is also good for you. But it is difficult to have time or energy for everything. Hopefully most of this time would just have been spent doom-scrolling or watching tv.