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study critique (270)
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domain: slatestarcodex.com (1127 posts)
domain: wikipedia.org (896 posts)
domain: astralcodexten.com (560 posts)
domain: lesswrong.com (491 posts)
domain: twitter.com / x.com (445 posts)
domain: nih.gov (333 posts)
domain: reddit.com (321 posts)
domain: amazon.com (276 posts)
domain: substack.com (268 posts)
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domain: washingtonpost.com (143 posts)
domain: marginalrevolution.com (140 posts)
domain: sciencedirect.com (131 posts)
domain: theguardian.com (130 posts)
subreddit: slatestarcodex (130 posts)
domain: youtube.com (128 posts)
Remember which posts I've read on this device
23 posts
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Why I'm Staying Out Of The Substack Religion Debate

Scott explains why he's not interested in participating in the current wave of God debates on Substack, arguing that religious explanations fall into the same category as conspiracy theories by invoking "powerful hidden entities" to explain anomalies.

acx
Aug 19, 2026 3,639 words 446 likes 842 comments Listen · 21 min Read Read

Against The Cultural Christianity Argument

Scott Alexander rejects the 'cultural Christianity' argument, stating that both Christian and secular liberal societies eventually succumb to modernism, making Christianity no more stable than secular alternatives.

acx
Oct 4, 2024 907 words 449 likes 830 comments Listen · 7 min Read Read

Will Nonbelievers Really Believe Anything?

Scott Alexander investigates whether non-religious people are more prone to believing conspiracy theories, finding a U-shaped relationship between religiosity and skepticism.

acx
Aug 11, 2022 1,270 words 179 likes 796 comments Listen · 15 min Read Read

New Atheism: The Godlessness That Failed

Scott Alexander examines the rise and fall of New Atheism, arguing it was replaced by social justice as the dominant online 'hamartiology' explaining society's problems.

ssc
Oct 30, 2019 5,951 words 0 likes 820 comments Listen · 44 min Read Read

Pushing And Pulling Goals

Scott Alexander explores the concepts of 'pulling goals' (driven by specific desires) and 'pushing goals' (driven by existing structures), expressing his preference for the former and strategies to deal with the latter.

ssc
Jul 18, 2016 1,046 words 0 likes 206 comments Read Read

It Was You Who Made My Blue Eyes Blue

In a fictional story, five islanders confront their society's religious taboos after a shipwrecked sailor points out their blue eyes, leading them to question and ultimately reject their beliefs.

ssc
Oct 15, 2015 6,334 words 0 likes 366 comments Read Read

Extremism In Thought Experiment Is No Vice

Scott Alexander defends the use of extreme thought experiments in moral philosophy, using Phil Robertson's controversial remarks as an example to explain their necessity and purpose.

ssc
Mar 26, 2015 2,226 words 0 likes 590 comments Read Read

There Are Rules Here

Scott explores why conservative religious movements thrive while liberal ones decline, suggesting that strict rules and commitments strengthen communities, and considers this in the context of atheist religion-substitutes.

ssc
Dec 24, 2014 1,610 words 0 likes 317 comments Read Read

Weak Men Are Superweapons

Scott Alexander examines how 'weak men' arguments can be weaponized to unfairly discredit entire groups, forcing defensive coalitions and unnecessary conflicts.

ssc
May 12, 2014 2,956 words 0 likes 538 comments Listen · 21 min Read Read

A Comment I Posted On “What Would JT Do?”

Scott Alexander, though pro-gay rights, criticizes the suspension of Phil Robertson for his comments, arguing for broader societal tolerance of differing views beyond legal requirements.

ssc
Dec 28, 2013 735 words 0 likes 58 comments Read Read

Less Wrong, More Rite (II)

Scott Alexander discusses the Rationalist Solstice Ritual, exploring how 'cringeworthiness' can strengthen communities and the challenges atheists face in community-building.

ssc
Dec 18, 2013 2,093 words 0 likes 86 comments Read Read

The What-You’d-Implicitly-Heard-Before Telling Thing

Scott critiques Chesterton's 'truth-telling thing' argument, suggesting that religion's apparent coherence stems from cultural conditioning rather than inherent truth.

ssc
Jun 17, 2013 1,166 words 0 likes 103 comments Read Read

Can Atheists Appreciate Chesterton?

Scott Alexander explores whether atheists can fully appreciate Chesterton's work, arguing that the moral beauty in his writing stems more from modern humanism than Christianity itself.

ssc
Jun 16, 2013 2,334 words 0 likes 37 comments Read Read

All Debates Are Bravery Debates

Scott Alexander argues that many debates are 'bravery debates' where different groups need opposing advice, making it challenging to target advice effectively.

ssc
Jun 9, 2013 2,052 words 0 likes 168 comments Listen · 14 min Read Read

Moments Of Awakening

Scott Alexander discusses how the clarity experienced when awakening from meditation-induced delusions mirrors his appreciation for simplifying philosophical concepts.

ssc
Jun 5, 2013 822 words 0 likes 17 comments Listen · 13 min Read Read

Selection bias and atheist stereotypes

Scott Alexander explores how selection bias might create the stereotype of angry, vocal atheists, and speculates on how this concept might apply to other groups.

ssc
May 4, 2013 620 words 0 likes 43 comments Read Read

Hitting Below The (Bible) Belt

Scott shares a comedic video about people praising a non-existent Pope, using it to humorously critique Catholic tendency to believe in nonexistent father figures.

ssc
Mar 8, 2013 185 words 0 likes 21 comments Read Read

Pope and Change: An Atheist’s Guide To Vatican Decision 2013

Scott Alexander humorously profiles potential papal candidates from an atheist's perspective, focusing on their quirky aspects rather than theological positions.

ssc
Feb 28, 2013 2,223 words 0 likes 25 comments Read Read

2011 Survey Results

Scott Alexander presents comprehensive results from the 2011 Less Wrong survey of 1090 respondents, covering demographics, beliefs, probability estimates on various topics, and a calibration test that shows the community performs better than average but has some calibration issues.

lw
Dec 5, 2011 2,383 words 123 likes 513 comments Read Read

Philosophers and seeking answers

Scott explores whether philosophers genuinely seek answers or prefer endless debate, noting that while philosophy generates many solutions to problems, it lacks mechanisms like scientific experimentation to settle which solutions are correct.

lw
Feb 4, 2011 387 words 42 likes 27 comments Read Read

Help, help, I'm being oppressed!

Scott analyzes why multiple groups in America simultaneously claim persecution, identifying psychological motivations behind these claims and warning against the rhetorical trick of presenting oneself as both persecuted underdog and inevitable winner.

lw
Apr 7, 2009 1,640 words 50 likes 145 comments Read Read

Rationalist Poetry Fans, Unite!

Scott shares and comments on favorite rationalist poetry by Pope, Omar Khayyam, Piet Hein and Byron to show that poetry and rationality have long been allies.

lw
Mar 20, 2009 3,358 words 49 likes 35 comments Read Read

The Least Convenient Possible World

Scott argues that rationalists should test their objections against 'the least convenient possible world,' where convenient excuses are removed, in order to find their true reasons and avoid dodging hard questions.

lw
Mar 14, 2009 1,438 words 324 likes 204 comments Read Read
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