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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Jul 11, 2024
acx

Lifeboat Games And Backscratchers Clubs

23 min • 3,120 words • 409 comments • 392 likes • podcast (19 min)
Scott Alexander uses thought experiments to explore how people form coalitions and support networks, relating these to real-world social and political dynamics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores social dynamics through thought experiments involving castaways on a lifeboat and various 'backscratchers clubs'. He discusses how people form coalitions, make decisions in extreme situations, and how ideologies and social movements can serve as covers for mutual support networks. The post examines the formation of in-groups, the role of Schelling points in decision-making, and how these dynamics might relate to real-world phenomena like racism, nationalism, and establishment power structures. Shorter summary
Feb 17, 2022
acx

The Gods Only Have Power Because We Believe In Them

13 min • 1,777 words • 196 comments • 213 likes • podcast (12 min)
Scott explores various fictional scenarios about the relationship between gods, belief, and power through a series of dialogues between a student and a sage. Longer summary
This post is a series of fictional dialogues between a student and a sage, exploring different hypothetical scenarios about the nature of gods and belief. Each scenario presents a unique twist on the relationship between gods, belief, and power. The dialogues cover topics such as the balance between belief and doubt, the power of unbelievers' worship, the strength gained from doubt, and the potential for humans to become gods through collective belief. The post ends with a surprising turn, suggesting a connection to a well-known religious figure. Shorter summary
Sep 29, 2021
acx

Book Review: The Scout Mindset

39 min • 5,415 words • 806 comments • 151 likes • podcast (38 min)
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Scout Mindset' by Julia Galef, a book on rationality that emphasizes seeking truth over defending beliefs and addresses both intellectual and emotional aspects of clear thinking. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews Julia Galef's book 'The Scout Mindset', which aims to teach people how to think more clearly and rationally. The book distinguishes between 'soldier mindset' (defending one's beliefs) and 'scout mindset' (seeking truth). It provides techniques for adopting a scout mindset, including probabilistic thinking and thought experiments. The book also addresses the emotional challenges of changing one's mind and uses examples of admirable people who have done so to normalize the practice. Scott notes that the book goes beyond just teaching rationality techniques and touches on personal growth and becoming a better person. Shorter summary
Nov 18, 2019
ssc

More Intuition-Building On Non-Empirical Science: Three Stories

6 min • 713 words • 326 comments • podcast (7 min)
Scott Alexander uses three fictional stories to illustrate principles of non-empirical scientific reasoning, ultimately applying them to support the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Longer summary
This post presents three fictional stories to illustrate important points about non-empirical arguments in science. The first story shows that even when two theories make identical predictions, it's important to choose the simpler one. The second story demonstrates that determining which theory is simpler isn't always straightforward and requires philosophical understanding. The third story ties these concepts to quantum mechanics, arguing that the many-worlds interpretation is preferable to single-world interpretations based on these principles. Shorter summary
Scott Alexander uses satirical short stories to critique and deconstruct thought experiments challenging libertarian principles, highlighting their flaws and misrepresentations. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to a series of thought experiments designed to challenge libertarian principles with short stories that satirize and critique the premises of these experiments. He uses humor and irony to point out flaws in the reasoning behind the scenarios, suggesting they are based on straw man arguments or misunderstandings of libertarian philosophy. The stories involve time travelers interrupting the Constitutional Convention, a philosophical paradox causing chaos, and an 'infinitely rich man' scenario countered by unusual insurance. The final story breaks the fourth wall, portraying these scenarios as part of a flawed thought experiment world designed to criticize libertarianism. Shorter summary
Aug 09, 2017
ssc

The Lizard People Of Alpha Draconis 1 Decided To Build An Ansible

12 min • 1,655 words • 169 comments
A fictional story about alien lizards trying to build a faster-than-light communication device using moral philosophy, only to discover that moral progress is precisely slow enough to prevent this from working. Longer summary
This post is a fictional story about lizard people from Alpha Draconis 1 attempting to build an ansible, a device for faster-than-light communication. They design an elaborate system using beetles, mice, and moral philosophy, specifically negative average preference utilitarianism. The story explores concepts in ethics, physics, and the nature of moral progress. It concludes with the ansible's failure, revealing that the arc of moral progress is exactly long enough to prevent faster-than-light transmission of moral information, thus preserving fundamental physical limits. Shorter summary
Mar 26, 2015
ssc

Extremism In Thought Experiment Is No Vice

16 min • 2,226 words • 590 comments
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. Longer summary
Scott Alexander defends the use of extreme thought experiments in moral philosophy, using Phil Robertson's controversial remarks about atheists as an example. He argues that such thought experiments, while disturbing, are necessary to tease out our true moral intuitions and principles. Scott explains that these scenarios are designed to be extreme to magnify small effects, similar to how physicists use extreme conditions to study fundamental laws. He emphasizes that engaging with such thought experiments doesn't mean philosophers endorse or fantasize about these scenarios, but rather use them as tools to explore complex ethical issues. Shorter summary
Sep 04, 2014
ssc

Cooperation Un-Veiled

17 min • 2,353 words • 246 comments
Scott Alexander examines contractualism and its limitations using a thought experiment of 100 men with varying strengths, exploring how power dynamics affect moral agreements. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of contractualism in morality, using a thought experiment involving a society of 100 men with varying strengths. He examines how different agreements against oppression might be formed based on utility ratios and power differentials. The post then discusses why this model doesn't work due to game theory considerations, drawing parallels with the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Scott concludes by proposing some variations of the problem that might yield more interesting results, including random elements in interactions, meta-agreements, and coalitions. Shorter summary
Aug 06, 2014
ssc

Random Noise Is Our Most Valuable Resource

10 min • 1,389 words • 48 comments
Scott Alexander argues that creativity comes from mining external sources of 'noise' or 'disruption' rather than just thinking hard. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of creativity as a resource that needs to be mined from external sources of 'noise' or 'disruption'. He argues that creativity isn't just about thinking hard, but about finding ways to break out of our usual thought patterns. The post discusses various sources of this 'noise', including misunderstandings, cross-cultural studies, historical perspectives, and conversations with smart people who hold opposing views. Scott emphasizes the importance of seeking out these sources of disruption to expand our concept space and generate new ideas. Shorter summary
Jun 05, 2014
ssc

Don’t Be An Asch-Hole

9 min • 1,247 words • 317 comments
Scott Alexander explores a thought experiment based on the Asch conformity experiment to examine the strength and flexibility of personal beliefs and societal norms. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses a thought experiment inspired by the Asch conformity experiment, where one imagines being told that their beliefs are completely wrong according to everyone else in the 'real world'. He explores how this experiment might affect various beliefs, from personal convictions to societal norms, using examples like slavery in the antebellum South and vegetarianism. The post suggests that this thought experiment can be a powerful tool for examining one's beliefs, understanding moral progress, and even as a motivational technique. Scott also reflects on how this experiment might reveal which beliefs we hold most strongly and which we might be more willing to doubt or change. Shorter summary