How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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Dec 09, 2022
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Bobos In Paradise

44 min • 6,150 words • 171 comments • 60 likes • podcast (38 min)
Scott Alexander presents highlights from reader comments on his 'Bobos in Paradise' book review, covering critiques of the book's thesis, discussions on elite education, and debates on social class dynamics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to reader comments on his review of 'Bobos in Paradise' by David Brooks. The comments cover various aspects of the book's thesis about the rise of a new 'Bobo' elite class, including doubts about its historical accuracy, discussions on Ivy League admissions policies, debates on the merits of hereditary aristocracy, and other interesting tangents. Scott provides his thoughts on some of the comments and highlights areas for further exploration. Shorter summary
Dec 01, 2022
acx

Book Review: First Sixth Of Bobos In Paradise

26 min • 3,505 words • 720 comments • 160 likes • podcast (25 min)
Scott reviews David Brooks' thesis on how a 1950s change in Ivy League admissions policy reshaped American elite culture and society. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews the first sixth of David Brooks' book 'Bobos In Paradise', focusing on Brooks' thesis that a change in Harvard's admissions policy in the 1950s led to the replacement of the old WASP aristocracy with a new meritocratic elite. This shift had far-reaching consequences for American culture, values, and social trends. Scott explores how this theory might explain various phenomena, from changes in architecture to political polarization, and considers its implications for understanding modern elites and social dynamics. Shorter summary
Mar 05, 2021
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Class

27 min • 3,772 words • 262 comments • 86 likes • podcast (22 min)
Scott Alexander shares reader comments on his review of Fussell's class book, covering upper-class perspectives, class indicators, and political implications of class distinctions. Longer summary
Scott Alexander highlights comments on his review of Paul Fussell's book on class. The comments cover various aspects of class distinctions, including perspectives from upper-class readers, discussions on flower preferences as class indicators, and debates about the portrayal of working-class life in 'The Simpsons'. The post also touches on modern class analysis, Republican politics, and the author's thoughts on political strategies for Democrats. Shorter summary
Jan 04, 2019
ssc

Preregistration Of Investigations For The 2019 SSC Survey

7 min • 924 words • 198 comments • podcast (9 min)
Scott Alexander outlines 18 preregistered investigations for the 2019 SSC survey, covering topics from psychiatric medication effects to birth order influences. Longer summary
Scott Alexander preregisters 18 investigations for the 2019 Slate Star Codex survey. These investigations cover a wide range of topics including psychiatric medication effects, social class perceptions, life history strategies, gender bias, imposter syndrome, and birth order effects. The post begins by urging readers to take the survey before reading further to avoid bias. Each investigation is briefly described, often including the reasoning behind it or the specific analysis method to be used. The investigations touch on fields such as psychology, sociology, psychiatry, and genetics, reflecting the diverse interests of the blog's audience. Shorter summary
Jul 25, 2017
ssc

Highlights From The Comment Thread On Meritocracy

22 min • 3,068 words • 277 comments
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to various criticisms of meritocracy from commenters, arguing that despite its flaws, meritocracy is preferable to alternatives like cronyism. Longer summary
This post discusses various criticisms and concerns about meritocracy raised in the comments of a previous article. Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to several key points, including the definition of meritocracy, its application in different fields, potential negative consequences, and alternatives. He addresses concerns about meritocracy creating a disconnected elite class, stripping lower classes of leadership, and the challenges of truly implementing a merit-based system. Scott argues that while meritocracy has flaws, it's still preferable to alternatives like cronyism, and criticizes some anti-meritocracy arguments as being utopian or impractical. Shorter summary
Jan 30, 2016
ssc

Staying Classy

29 min • 3,922 words • 981 comments
Scott Alexander examines different models of social class in America, exploring their implications for understanding society and politics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses various perspectives on social class in America, focusing on the distinction between economic and social class. He summarizes and compares several models of class structure, including those by Siderea, Michael Church, and Unqualified Reservations. The post explores how these models relate to political views, cultural signifiers, and social mobility. Scott also reflects on how class intersects with other factors like politics, race, and education, and considers the implications of class analysis for understanding social phenomena and policy outcomes. Shorter summary