Scott Alexander revisits his 'Targeting Meritocracy' post, realizing the disagreements stemmed from different fundamental perspectives: mistake theory vs. conflict theory. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on his previous post 'Targeting Meritocracy' and the disagreements it generated. He realizes that the core of the disagreement stems from different perspectives: mistake theory vs. conflict theory. Scott originally wrote from a mistake theory viewpoint, assuming good government is about solving problems efficiently. However, he now understands that those who disagreed likely approached it from a conflict theory perspective, where good government is about serving specific class interests. This realization helps explain the stark difference in opinions and reinforces the importance of identifying fundamental assumptions when encountering seemingly inexplicable disagreements. Shorter summary