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Aug 19, 2022
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Subcultures

34 min • 4,672 words • 166 comments • 64 likes • podcast (29 min)
Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on his cyclic theory of subcultures, addressing critiques and expanding on the model's applications and limitations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses various comments on his post about a cyclic theory of subcultures. He addresses critiques and expansions of his model, including the role of loyalists, the importance of unassailable central figures, and how movements transition between phases. Scott also reflects on the current state of rationalism and effective altruism, provides his timeline for the rationalist movement, and explores the concept of status in subcultures. Shorter summary
Aug 10, 2022
acx

A Cyclic Theory Of Subcultures

16 min • 2,221 words • 323 comments • 311 likes • podcast (18 min)
Scott proposes a four-phase cyclic theory of subculture evolution, explaining their rise and fall without requiring sociopathic takeovers. Longer summary
Scott Alexander proposes a cyclic theory of subcultures, inspired by Peter Turchin's theories of civilizational cycles. He outlines four phases: Precycle, Growth, Involution, and Postcycle. The theory explains how subcultures evolve from initial enthusiasm to fragmentation and eventual stabilization, without requiring the influx of sociopaths that David Chapman's model suggests. Scott argues that the decline in *asabiyyah* (social cohesion) and increased competition for status within the subculture can explain the observed patterns of subculture evolution. Shorter summary
Jul 08, 2015
ssc

Cultural Evolution 2: Thanks For The Meme-Rise

6 min • 737 words • 373 comments
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. Longer summary
This post discusses various ways cultural evolution can occur, based on comments from a previous post. It explores five scenarios: super-innovations allowing one culture to dominate others, differential breeding rates between groups, evolution of subcultures, accretion of beneficial practices, and prehistoric cultural evolution. Scott analyzes each scenario, noting their strengths and limitations. He concludes that while cultural evolution has potential to be interesting, it doesn't provide a strong argument for preserving specific cultural features without additional justification. Shorter summary
Feb 11, 2015
ssc

Black People Less Likely

18 min • 2,462 words • 475 comments
Scott Alexander argues that polyamory's low black representation is part of a broader pattern across many subcultures, proposing general explanations and criticizing how this issue is often weaponized. Longer summary
Scott Alexander examines the claim that polyamory has a problem with underrepresentation of black people. He argues this is part of a broader pattern where many subcultures and interest groups have low black representation, listing numerous examples. He proposes several general factors that likely contribute to this pattern, such as affluence requirements, education levels, and cultural factors. Scott criticizes how underrepresentation is often used disingenuously to attack groups, and expresses frustration that polyamory is being singled out for criticism when the pattern is so widespread. Shorter summary
Jun 07, 2014
ssc

Archipelago and Atomic Communitarianism

49 min • 6,855 words • 271 comments • podcast (47 min)
Scott Alexander proposes 'Archipelago', a society of voluntary communities, as a potential solution to issues in modern politics and social organization. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'Archipelago', a hypothetical society where people can form voluntary communities based on shared values and principles. He argues that this model could potentially solve many problems of modern liberalism and conservatism, while preserving individual freedoms and addressing issues of oppression. The post discusses the challenges of implementing such a system in the real world, but suggests that increasing societal fracture into subcultures and online communities might be a step in that direction. Shorter summary