ACX
Your Book Review: Zuozhuan
The review examines 'Zuozhuan', an ancient Chinese historical text, exploring its content, context, and relevance to understanding societal transformation.
46 min read 6,998 words
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historical analysis
Essays tagged “historical analysis”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on historical analysis
19 essaysACX
Your Book Review: The Weirdest People in the World
A review of Joe Henrich's 'The Weirdest People in the World', examining its argument that the Western Church's marriage regulations led to WEIRD psychology and modern economic growth.
35 min read 5,420 words
ACX
Your Book Review: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
A review of 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich' analyzes Hitler's rise to power, identifying key factors to recognize potential authoritarian threats.
65 min read 9,986 words
ACX
Is There An Illusion Of Moral Decline?
Scott Alexander critiques a study claiming an illusion of moral decline, pointing out methodological flaws and suggesting alternative explanations for the perception of declining morality.
22 min read 3,354 words
ACX
Galton, Ehrlich, Buck
Scott Alexander explores the ethics of eugenics and population control through fictional debates, comparing historical figures and policies.
37 min read 5,708 words
ACX
Book Review: Malleus Maleficarum
Scott Alexander reviews the 'Malleus Maleficarum', a 15th-century witch-hunting manual, analyzing its content and historical context while reflecting on the dangers of limited knowledge.
55 min read 8,468 words
ACX
Your Book Review: The Collapse Of Complex Societies
This review examines Joseph Tainter's theory of societal collapse due to diminishing returns on complexity, critiquing aspects of the model and attempting to apply it to modern contexts.
40 min read 6,174 words
ACX
Theses On The Current Moment
Scott Alexander analyzes the current cultural climate, comparing it to historical norms of ideological conformity and discussing strategies to maintain intellectual freedom.
17 min read 2,484 words
SSC
Book Review: Secular Cycles
Scott Alexander reviews 'Secular Cycles', which proposes pre-industrial civilizations follow ~300 year cycles of growth and decline, examining the evidence and potential implications.
33 min read 4,997 words
SSC
Book Review: Madness And Civilization
Scott Alexander reviews Foucault's 'Madness and Civilization', examining its controversial historical analysis of societal attitudes towards mental illness.
41 min read 6,224 words
SSC
Were There Dark Ages?
Scott Alexander argues that the Dark Ages in Western Europe (500-1000 AD) did occur, presenting evidence of economic, demographic, and intellectual decline during this period.
34 min read 5,119 words
SSC
In Favor Of Futurism Being About The Future
Scott Alexander criticizes a Boston Review article on futurism for focusing on identity politics rather than substantive future predictions, arguing this approach trivializes important technological and societal developments.
19 min read 2,934 words
SSC
Did Falling Testosterone Affect Falling Crime?
Scott Alexander explores the potential link between falling testosterone levels and declining crime rates, finding the hypothesis intriguing but ultimately insufficient to explain observed crime trends.
10 min read 1,529 words
SSC
Aretaeus On Bipolar Disorder
Scott compares ancient and modern descriptions of bipolar disorder, finding significant similarities that suggest the condition is biologically grounded rather than culturally determined.
7 min read 941 words
SSC
Empire/Forest Fire
Scott Alexander critiques the Reactionary concept of 'left singularity', arguing that reigns of terror typically follow repressive right-wing regimes rather than gradual leftward shifts in democracies.
15 min read 2,191 words
SSC
List of Reasons Why Gunpowder Treason Should Be Forgot
Scott Alexander lists five reasons why Guy Fawkes Day should be forgotten, demonstrating how easy it is to generate arguments when one puts some thought into it.
1 min read 107 words
SSC
The Anti-Reactionary FAQ
This post systematically rebuts common Reactionary political beliefs on topics like societal decline, traditional governance, progress, and social issues through data analysis and historical examples.
228 min read 35,234 words
SSC
Apart From Better Sanitation And Medicine And Education And Irrigation And Public Health And Roads And Public Order, What Has Modernity Done For Us?
Scott Alexander uses historical data to refute the Reactionary claim that modern society increases war, showing instead that violence has decreased significantly in progressive eras.
12 min read 1,843 words
SSC
We Wrestle Not With Flesh And Blood, But Against Powers And Principalities
Scott argues that even if past cultures were superior, restoring them is impossible because cultures evolve to fit their technological conditions, which have changed dramatically.
26 min read 3,942 words