A thread through the archive
Essays tagged “Chesterton's Fence”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Scott examines five potential mechanisms of cultural evolution, discussing their strengths and limitations, and concludes that they don't strongly justify preserving specific cultural features.
Scott Alexander examines ecclesiology in non-religious movements, using the Catholic Church as a model of organizational success, and questions why other causes don't adopt similar structures.
Scott criticizes the approach to mysticism popularized by Robert Anton Wilson, arguing it provides false rewards and promotes harmful dabbling instead of genuine practice.
Scott Alexander introduces his new blog, Slate Star Codex, and explains its ethos of 'charity over absurdity' in intellectual discourse.